World’s 17th Athlete Passport Management Unit set up in India

India has become the 17th country in the world to establish a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)- accredited Athlete Passport Management Unit. India joins select countries like Germany, China, the United Kingdom, and the United States to establish the Athlete Passport Management Unit. The Unit is expected to strengthen the fight against the menace of doping in sports.

Doping refers to the use of banned performance-enhancing drugs by athletes to improve their performance in sporting events.

Who inaugurated the  Athlete Passport Management Unit? 

The  Athlete Passport Management Unit was inaugurated by the Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sport, Dr Mansukh Mandviya, in New Delhi on 17 April 2025.

Speaking on the occasion, Sports Minister Mandaviya offered India’s  Athlete Passport Management Unit to those neighbouring countries that lack sufficient resources to set up similar systems.

Where has the Athlete Passport Management Unit set up? 

The Athlete Passport Management Unit has been established at the National Doping Testing Laboratory in New Delhi. It aligns with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) guidelines, thereby strengthening the global anti-doping programme.

What is the Athlete Passport Management Unit?

• WADA introduced the Athlete Biological Passport Operating Guidelines, which became effective on December 1, 2009.
• The Athlete Biological Passport monitors selected biological variables of an athlete over time, which indirectly reveal the effects of doping.
• The Athlete Biological Passport stores the blood sample of the athlete and a urine sample to detect the steroid profile of an athlete and identify doping.

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)

Established in 1999.

WADA is an independent body that is mainly funded by the International olympic Committee (IOC) and grants from governments. 

It is the main global body that deals with the use of banned performance-enhancing substances by athletes.

Aim of WADA

To develop a common set of guidelines and coordinate anti-doping rules and policies across all sports in the world.

To lead the fight against the unauthorised use of performance-enhancing drugs(dope) by athletes in sports. 

WADA is an international organisation and it accredits regional and national anti-doping agencies of countries.

Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland.

President : Witold Bańka

About the National Anti-Doping Agency  (NADA)

The Government of India established the National Anti-Doping Agency on November 24, 2005, in accordance with the Copenhagen Declaration on anti-doping.

NADA was set up under the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

NADA is a member of WADA.

NADA has established the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL), which received WADA accreditation in September 2008.

NADA is responsible for implementing WADA’s anti-doping guidelines in the country.