India tops AIU list of countries with most doping offenders: Expert shares reason behind menace and ways to overcome

The Athletics Integrity Unit, a body founded by World Athletic, has published the June 2026 list of countries with most doping offenders and India is at the top of that list with 162 individuals. The list comes at a time when India is preparing for some high profile events including Asian Games 2026, Commonwealth Games 2026, and the LA Olympics 2028. India's top ranking in the list highlights the challenge of doping the country faces. India has ranked in the top two for the most Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) in athletics between 2022 and 2025.

According to AIU, India recorded 48 ADRVs (ranked 2nd) in 2022, 63 (ranked 2nd) in 2023, 71 (ranked 1st) in 2024 and 30 ADRVs (ranked 1st) in 2025.

WION spoke to Dr. Sumiran Passey, a Sports Medicine expert based out of India's National Capital Region (NCR), and he conceded that 'doping is very tricky thing to navigate around.'

Does India have a doping problem among athletes?

Speaking on the issue, Dr. Passey acknowledged India having 'a huge number of athletes working on different levels who gradually progress to national levels,' but noted that "there are many loopholes where an athlete are not aware of what actually is doping and what actually is not dope doping. What substance are usually included in doping and what substance are not."

"Also, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) upgrades the list of banned substance on first of January every year. They add on what substance this year will be added to the existing list for doping.

"Now, when any athlete is training or injured, not everyone has an access to a sports physician. They go to their places, they meet a lot of local physicians or local specialist on for their issues specifically, and then athletes are put on medication. These physicians/specialists sometimes are not aware of that there is anything like doping or the substances or some substances of a medication is included in WADA doping list.

"So when an athlete takes these medication or the supplements just for getting cured, and go back to the sports where he/she is tested, then they found out to have broken the rules."

Dr. Passey, however, agrees that "WADA list is huge. People cannot remember the list, but everyone can have access to the list. That way at least when they're prescribing they can just crosscheck from that list."

What the government is doing about it?

The Indian government had passed the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022 to be in sync with WADA's testing. The government data also showed that NADA increased testing from 1,899 tests (2021) to 7,466 tests (2024), with positive cases rising from 42 to 260, reflecting enhanced surveillance as well as persistent violations.

When asked to Dr. Passey, he outlined that awareness, for both doctors and athletes, is the key to deal with the menace of doping

"The knowledge of doping should be spread to all the doctors, the budding doctors as well as the existing one who are into practice through a lot of educational programs for them. And, the same training has to be given to every athlete from grassroot level onwards so they are aware that there's something like doping. The doctor who is prescribing anything should also be aware that there's something like doping.

"What it would is if at least if doctor doesn't know the athlete can always ask, please take care of the dope or vice versa. And, it's not just that the athlete is injured during because of a sports injury, it could be anything. Any small issue in any organ in the body can lead to a treatment and for that and the doping can be the outcome," he added.

He also said that while "such programs (awareness) are already been conducted in such in big sporting authorities where the athletes have been trained, but they have to be a bit more frequent and they have to be so repeated that it's in ingrained in athletes."

"It is also for anyone associated with the athlete like parents, coaches or even the friends who been travelling with them. It could be anyone and they all should be aware because doping just doesn't include that some substances is given, even a presence of of trace amounts can lead to doping."