Doping

We hear Indian athletes running away from doping control: ITA head

The head of the International Testing Agency (ITA), the body that manages anti-doping programme in Olympic Games and other major global events, has expressed concern at the high rate of doping cases in India and athletes getting "advance notice prior to testing" and avoiding furnishing samples if there is doping control. ITA Director General Benjamin Cohen said in a report that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has passed on the message that if India wants to host the 2036 Games, the country needs to undergo "a lot of governance and structural reforms". "We're concerned in general with the state of doping in India and we're hearing a lot of things happening on the ground," Cohen was quoted as saying by 'The Athletic', which covers sports for 'The New York Times'. "We also hear stories of athletes running away when there is a doping control, and we hear of advance notice (given to athletes prior to testing)." Besides overseeing anti-doping tests on behalf of the IOC, the ...

How rise in doping cases can impact India's performance in global events

India has topped WADA's doping charts for three straight years, raising concerns over its global sporting credibility

Govt to criminalise administration of prohibited substances: Mandaviya

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said government is working towards a legislation that would criminalise trafficking and administration of prohibited performance-enhancing substances to athletes. Speaking at the World Anti-Doping Agency's Global Anti-Doping Intelligence and Investigations Network (GAIIN) Final Conference here, the minister said India, which has topped the global list of dope offenders for the past three years, would aggressively tackle the menace that casts a massive shadow on its aspirations of hosting the Olympics in 2036. "We are working on introducing criminal provisions for athlete support staff or other persons involved in trafficking and administering banned substances," Mandaviya said, making it apparent that coaches who are found encouraging use of banned substances by athletes would be among those at the receiving end. Currently, India does not have penal provisions to tackle supply of banned substances to athletes and disciplinary action is .

NADA crackdown: Full list of Indian athletes who failed latest dope test

All the athletes named in the list have been handed a provisional suspension from active competition, except Dhanalakshmi, who has been served with a ban

India's doping crisis is threatening its dream of hosting 2036 Olympics

Country's athletes have had one of the worst records in testing positive for banned substances

Anti-doping amendment bill tabled to boost NADA's operational autonomy

The amended National anti-doping act will be presented in the Parliament here on Wednesday incorporating the changes sought by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which objected to "government interference" in the functioning of the country's Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). The act was originally passed in 2022 but its implementation had to be put on hold due to objections raised by WADA. The world body objected to the institution of a National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports, which was empowered to make recommendations to the government on anti-doping regulations. The Board, which was to comprise a Chairperson and two members appointed by the central government, was also authorised to oversee the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and even issue directions to it. WADA rejected this provision as government interference in an autonomous body. The amended bill has therefore deleted this provision to be WADA-compliant along with some other changes which might include reducing the athlete'

Sinner ain't sinning? Doping ban raises concerns for Indian sponsors

Sinner's team stressed that they had scientific feedback that this was not a case of intentional doping, including micro-dosing

Irritated with WADA, US Congress may give govt authority to stop payments

A bipartisan group of lawmakers looking for reforms at the World Anti-Doping Agency reintroduced a bill that would give the White House permanent authority to withhold money from the drug-fighting agency. The Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act would make permanent an already temporary ability to hold back the money. It would put more teeth behind the government's recent decision not to pay $3.6 million to WADA a move WADA said would cost the U.S. its seat on one of its top policymaking boards. The federal government has long been critical of WADA. The agency's handling of a doping case involving Chinese swimmers who were allowed to compete despite testing positive reignited tensions that have simmered since the Russian doping scandal erupted in 2014. My colleagues and I have a message for WADA, the IOC, and any other international organization who tries to strong-arm the United States: we are calling your bluff, and we won't be silenced in our mission to promo

Russian tennis star Daniil Savelev suspended for 2 years for doping

Russian tennis player Daniil Savelev has accepted a two-year suspension for doping, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said Friday. The ITIA said that Savelev tested positive for the prohibited substance meldonium in July 2024. He has been provisionally suspended since August of this year. That means his suspension will end in August 2026. Savelev had reached a career-high world doubles ranking of 1,486 in August 2022. The ITIA said that it believed that Savelev had not intentionally taken the banned substance, saying that Savelev admitted to ingesting meldonium tablets, confusing family medication for supplements of a similar appearance. The doping watchdog said that Savelev agreed to accept the suspension since he did not take any steps to mitigate the rules violation.

Bajrang Punia accuses BJP of vindictive politics on Nada suspension

Suspended for four years due to his "refusal" to provide sample for dope test, Olympic medallist Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia on Wednesday said it was a vindictive move by the government which would quash the ban if he joins the BJP. NADA said Bajrang violated the rules by refusing to give sample during selection trials for the national team on March 10. The anti-doping body had first suspended the Tokyo Games bronze medallist wrestler on April 23 for the offence following which, the sport's world governing body UWW had also slapped him with a suspension. "It is not shocking because this issue about trial has been going on for last one year. I have said in the past too that I have not refused to give sample to NADA. When they visited my home to conduct the dope test, they came with an expiry kit (in December, 2023). I have also posted this on social media," Barjrang told reporters. Punia, along with fellow wrestler and Olympian Vinesh Phogat, have joined the Congress Party earlier

HC seeks NADA's reply on plea by wrestler Bajrang Punia against suspension

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the stand of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) on a petition by wrestler Bajrang Punia challenging his suspension. Justice Sanjeev Narula issued notice to the agency on the plea which has been filed ahead of the Senior World Wrestling Championships to be held in Albania in October. As the senior counsel appearing for the athlete pressed for an interim relief, the judge remarked that no formal application has been filed for the same. "This is a classic case of hounding someone...World Championship is round the corner. I have to practice," senior advocate Rajiv Dutta said. The court, however, questioned Punia on his refusal to submit a sample for the testing, asking, "how will they let you play if you don't test". Punia's counsel asserted that there were issues concerning the use of an "outdated kit" and he has sought answers from authorities. The counsel for NADA said a disciplinary panel has been constituted, which is looking into the

Jannik Sinner doping controversy explained: Why was Sinner's ban revoked?

The Italian tennis star said that his fitness trainer had purchased an over-the-counter spray that contained Clostebol. The spray was used to heal a cut on his finger

Michael Phelps calls for a lifetime ban for anyone who's caught doping

In the wake of a Chinese doping scandal, Michael Phelps doubled down Monday on his support for tougher sanctions including a lifetime ban for anyone who tests positive for a banned substance. If you test positive, you should never be allowed to come back and compete again, cut and dry, Phelps said. I believe one and done. The World Anti-Doping Agency and World Aquatics have acknowledged that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned substance ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. The results were not made public until media reports surfaced this year, with both bodies accepting the Chinese explanation that the positive tests were caused by tainted food. Nine of those swimmers won medals - several as part of relay teams - n Paris, leading British star Adam Peaty to gripe that the playing field was not even. Phelps reiterated those sentiments, saying the Chinese swimmers who tested positive should not have been allowed to compete in either Tokyo or Paris. Or anywhere else, for that .

Olympics: Zhang hopes Chinese swimmers will be seen as clean after tests

Zhang Yufei hopes her international rivals will believe she is competing clean after the Chinese swimming star estimates she took between 20 and 30 drug tests monthly in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics. I don't think there's a single athlete, Chinese or foreign, who would test positive for doping. They would not want to destroy all the hard work they've put in over the years on doping, Zhang told reporters in the mixed zone Saturday when she was the top qualifier for the 100-meter butterfly final. She won her preliminary race in 56.50 seconds during the first day of the swimming competition at Paris La Defense Arena. She said afterwards she is anxious about what her friends and competitors in the swimming world are thinking about Zhang and others from the Chinese team. Zhang said she and her teammates have tested three to four days a week in the past couple of months leading up to the Paris Games and in the wake of a doping scandal involving 23 Chinese swimmers including Zhang .

Katie Ledecky hopes clean races at Olympics after Chinese doping scandal

Katie Ledecky hopes for clean races at the Olympics. Hope was just about as far as she was willing to go on Wednesday. The US swimming star is looking to add to her six individual gold medals when she races in the 400, 800 and 1,500 meters at the Paris Games. Her schedule begins with the loaded 400 on Saturday, including Ariarne Titmus and Summer McIntosh. The 27-year-old Ledecky is competing in her fourth Summer Olympics. But, it's the first one since a doping scandal involving nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance ahead of the Tokyo Games and were allowed to compete with no ramifications. The controversy has raised major concerns about the seriousness of anti-doping efforts. I hope everyone here is going to be competing clean this week, Ledecky said. But, what really matters also is: Were they training clean? Hopefully, that's been the case. Hopefully, there's been even testing around the world. There is an ongoing US investigation of the

Two Rio Olympics weightlifters return adverse results from 2016 samples

Weightlifters Mohamed Mahmoud of Egypt and Alexandr Spac of Moldova have returned adverse analytical findings from retests of samples from the 2016 Rio Olympics, according to the International Testing Agency. The ITA announced Wednesday that Mahmoud, the bronze medalist in the men's 77kg division, and Spac, who finished fifth, each tested positive for a non-specified banned substance from the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list. They have the right to request a B-sample analysis. If a B-sample analysis is not requested, it is considered a doping violation. Neither Mahmoud nor Spac, who also failed a drug test at the 2017 European weightlifting championships, will compete at the upcoming Paris Olympics. The gold medalist from that division while setting a world record, Nijat Rahimov of Kazakhstan was already disqualified for doping two years ago. Eight years ago, Mahmoud questioned Rahimov, saying at the time, "Maybe after some doping controls, some things will change." Doping

Wrestler Bajrang Punia calls Nada arrogant, says he is being targeted

Wrestler Bajrang Punia on Monday alleged that NADA was targeting him for pointing out flaws in their system and vowed to challenge the arrogance of the National Anti-Doping Agency, which he claimed wants to end his sporting career. Bajrang was suspended by NADA for the second time on June 24 after the wrestler got relief from the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) of the agency. The ADDP had lifted the first suspension on the grounds that NADA had not officially charged him for doping by serving the wrestler a formal notice. NADA then issued the notice to the Tokyo Games medallist and suspended him again. "This shows how NADA is targeting me, they don't want me to continue wrestling at any cost," Bajrang posted on X. Bajrang was suspended for refusing to provide his sample during the selection trials held in Sonepat on March 10. He had lost the trials and thus missed out on the chance to qualify for the Paris Olympics. The 30-year-old multiple-time World Championship medallist

Ex-Olympic pole vault champion Braz banned for doping, to miss Paris Games

Olympic pole vault gold medalist Thiago Braz was banned for 16 months for doping and will miss the Paris Games, track and field's Athletics Integrity Unit said on Tuesday. Braz won the Olympic title at his home Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016 and took bronze in Tokyo three years ago. The 30-year-old Braz's ban expires in November and he has filed an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the AIU said. Braz claimed his positive test for ostarine was caused by a contaminated nutritional supplement and the anti-doping tribunal judges accepted by a 2-1 verdict he was not at significant fault, the AIU said. The track and field investigation unit said it would consider an appeal to CAS after asking the first tribunal to impose a four-year ban. Braz was reckless and acted with indirect intent, the AIU said, because he was aware of concerns with Brazilian pharmacies and manifestly disregarded that risk. He tested positive at the Diamond League meeting in Stockholm last July, several

India tops list of doping offenders in 2022: WADA anti-doping report

South Africa follows India as countries with the highest number of athletes testing positive for banned substances

India 2nd worst country in WADA's 10-year study of positive doping cases

India was on Wednesday named as the second worst country in a 10-year global study of positive doping cases by minors conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Russia toped the list, followed by India and China, in the report published by the WADA on Wednesday on the findings of Operation Refuge', a broad analysis and examination of doping amongst minors in sport. "Countries with the most positive tests reported against Minors were (in descending order) Russia, India, and China. Countries with the most sanctioned Minors were Russia, India, and China," the WADA said in the report. "The Prohibited Substances most detected in Minors from those countries were, respectively, Furosemide, Nandrolone (or its precursors), 15 and Clenbuterol. "The Prohibited Substances most responsible for the sanctions in those countries were, respectively, Furosemide, Stanozolol, 21 and Clenbuterol," the world's anti-doping watchdog said about the three worst countries as far as doping by minors is ...