AUI says India is in the top two for the most anti-doping rule violations in athletics between 2022 and 2025.
Published on 20 April 2026
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has said Indian athletes will now have to meet stricter anti-doping requirements as their federation has been placed in the highest-risk category in world athletics.
India was on Monday included in the list of countries where the risk of doping is “extremely high”.
Russia has joined Belarus, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Ukraine in getting the AIU’s highest rating of Category A after moving up from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) Category B.
Category A means India’s athletes will now have to follow more stringent anti-doping requirements.
The world’s most populous country is set to be in the top two for the most anti-doping violations in athletics between 2022 and 2025, the AIU said.
AIU President David Howman said, “The doping situation in India has long been high-risk and unfortunately, the quality of the domestic anti-doping program is not proportionate to the doping risk.”
“Although AFI has advocated for anti-doping reforms within India, there has not been substantial change.
“The AIU will now work with the AFI to achieve reforms to protect the integrity of the sport of athletics, as we have done with other Category A member associations.”
The AIU is an independent body charged with fighting corruption and misconduct in athletics, including doping.
India is set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, which is being seen as a stepping stone to its ambition of hosting the 2036 Olympics.
Asian Games gold medalist archer Prathamesh Javkar has been banned for two years in the latest doping case in Indian athletics.
He has accepted punishment for the whereabouts failure and will not participate in the Asian Games to be held in Japan in September-October.
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief Witold Banka, who was in New Delhi last week, said India is the largest producer of performance enhancing drugs.
However, he said that India consistently leading the list of drug fraud would not hamper its chances of hosting prestigious global sporting events.
AFI spokesperson Adille Sumariwala said the federation is working with the AIU, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the National Anti-Doping Agency to resolve the issue.
“The AFI has a strong plan, and we are all in favor of decriminalizing doping in this country,” World Athletics vice-president Sumariwalla told Reuters news agency.
“There is nothing wrong in more testing. More athletes are being caught in India because more testing is being done.
“We are fighting this with all our might. The scoundrels and criminals who are doing this should be stopped by the police. We are not the police, our job is to make policy and the government is helping.”
When an Indian delegation visited the International Olympic Committee headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland last year, they were asked to curb the doping menace to boost their Olympic bid.
