Indias athletes face extremely high doping risk according to Athletics Integrity Unit

India’s Athletics Federation Elevated to Category A by World Athletics

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has placed India’s Athletics Federation in the highest-risk category of World Athletics, requiring the country’s athletes to meet tougher anti-doping requirements. The move follows a review of doping cases between 2022 and 2025, which ranked India among the top two countries with the most anti-doping rule violations.

As a result, Indian athletes will be subject to more stringent testing and monitoring under the AIU’s Category A regime. This category is reserved for nations deemed to have an “extremely high” risk of doping.

According to the AIU, India has been identified as one of the countries with a high-risk doping situation, despite efforts by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to address the issue. The AFI has acknowledged that more needs to be done to improve its anti-doping programme and has expressed commitment to implementing reforms.

The move comes ahead of India’s hosting of the 2030 Commonwealth Games and its bid to stage the 2036 Olympics. World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief Witold Banka noted that while India consistently leads the list of drug cheats, it is unlikely to impact its chances of hosting major sporting events.

The Athletics Federation has stated that it is working with the AIU, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and the National Anti-Doping Agency to address the issue. A spokesperson for the federation emphasized the need for increased scrutiny and cooperation from law enforcement agencies to combat doping in India.

Source: Al Jazeera