According to a report released by World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) ,India reported the highest number of doping cases in the world in 2022. In sports, doping refers to the use of banned performance enhancing drugs by the athletes to gain an unfair advantage over its competitors.
According to the report published in The Hindustan Times newspaper, 3,865 samples, including urine, blood, and dried blood spot (DBS) of Indian athletes, were tested from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022. 125 of the samples returned Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs), which means that banned performance-enhancing drugs were found in these samples.
Amongst the athletes tested of various countries only Indian samples had over 100 positive results.In percentage terms, India's 3.2% of AAFs is the highest in the world among nations that tested more than 2,000 samples.
In terms of numbers Russia with 85 positive results was in second place behind India. It was followed by the United States of America in third place with 84 positive samples.
In a ‘10-year global study of positive doping cases by minors’ report released by WADA in January 2024 ,India was ranked as the second worst offender in the world. Russia topped the list while China was ranked third.
Maximum Number of Samples providing countries
According to WADA 6.4% more samples were tested in 2022 as compared to 2021.The percentage of AAF increased from 0.65% in 2021 to 0.77% in 2022.
Responding to the WADA finding Adille Sumariwalla president of Athletics Federation of India (AFI) said that more cases of athletes being tested positive is due to the increase in the volume of testing of athletes. He expressed the resolve of the AAFI to combat the menace of doping by educating the athletes and creating awareness at the grassroots level and conducting more testing.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was established in 1999 as an international independent agency composed and funded by the International Olympic Committee(IOC) and governments of the world.
Its main aim is to fight against the unauthorized use of performance enhancing drugs(Dope) by the athletes in sports.
WADA plays a crucial role in developing, harmonizing and coordinating anti-doping rules and policies across all sports in the world.
WADA is an international organisation. It has affiliated National Anti-Doping Organizations which conducts doping tests on its behalf.
Headquarters : Montreal, Canada
President : Witold Bańka