India's doping crisis deepens as athletes face bans ahead of major games
Six Indian athletes across weightlifting and judo tested positive for banned substances before the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, prompting suspensions and the loss of a weightlifting quota.
Just before the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, four Indian weightlifters and two judokas were barred after testing positive for prohibited substances, leading to the forfeiture of a weightlifting quota despite merit-based selection. The scandal adds to a pattern that has placed India at the top of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s 2024 positivity rankings, with 260 adverse findings from 7,113 samples. In response, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya outlined proposed changes to the National Anti-Doping Amendment Act 2025 that would extend criminal liability to coaches, doctors, suppliers and traffickers, with penalties of up to ten years in prison.
The National Anti-Doping Agency has expanded testing to nearly 8,000 samples annually and is shifting toward risk-based strategies. Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, through his foundation, is promoting athlete education, arguing many violations stem from lack of reliable guidance. Critics like sports-medicine specialist PSM Chandran warn that the current anti-doping framework may overlook scientific nuance and proportionality, underscoring the complexity of reform.
Why it matters
India's doping woes threaten its credibility and future bids to host major international sporting events.
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