India has been ranked as the world’s leading sports doping offender for the third consecutive year, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency, reinforcing concerns about the country’s ongoing struggle to curb the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
In its annual report released late Tuesday, WADA said India’s National Anti-Doping Agency collected 7,113 urine and blood samples in 2024, of which 260 returned positive results. The findings place India at the top of the global list, repeating its position from 2022 and 2023.
The report is a setback for India as it prepares to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, an event viewed as a key step toward its ambition of bidding for the 2036 Olympic Games. Athletics recorded the highest number of positive cases with 76 violations, followed by weightlifting with 43 and wrestling with 29.
High-profile cases during the year added to the scrutiny. In July, under-23 wrestling champion and Paris Olympics quarter-finalist Reetika Hooda tested positive and was provisionally suspended. Earlier this month, reports from India’s University Games suggested that several athletes skipped track and field events after anti-doping officials arrived, with only one competitor turning up for some contests.
France ranked second on the list with 91 positive cases in 2024, followed by Italy with 85. Russia and the United States were next with 76 cases each, while Germany recorded 54 and China 43.
India’s NADA defended its record, saying the rise in positive cases reflected stronger enforcement rather than lax controls. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the agency said India had significantly strengthened its anti-doping framework by increasing testing and expanding education and awareness efforts. It added that by December 16 this year, 7,068 tests had been conducted, resulting in 110 positive cases.
The WADA findings come months after the International Olympic Committee raised alarms over widespread drug use in Indian sport and urged authorities to take corrective action. In response, the Indian Olympic Association formed a new anti-doping panel in August, while the government passed a national anti-doping law aimed at tightening enforcement, expanding testing facilities, and upholding integrity in sport.
