— Published on May 26, 2026

India must prove its worth on the road to the 2036 Olympics

Institutions Focus

India has a lot of work to do if it wants to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036The fight against doping is a top priority. In 2024, India topped the list of countries with the highest number of athletes testing positive for the third consecutive year. With 7.113 samples and 260 abnormal tests, its positivity rate of 3,6% stands out significantly, as no other country exceeds 1,75%. Several other warning signs have emerged in recent weeks.

A country deemed "high risk" by World Athletics

In April, World Athletics' Integrity Unit (AIU) placed India among the countries at high risk for doping, alongside Russia, Belarus, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Ukraine. The doping situation in India has long been high-risk, and unfortunately, the quality of the national anti-doping program is simply not proportionate to the risk of doping. "That's the reason," explained AIU President David Howman. More and more athletes are being caught in India because more tests are being carried out. "The Indian Athletics Federation emphasized this point, stating that it had put in place a solid plan ».

World Anti-Doping Agency President Witold Banka visited India in mid-April. He met with government officials and publicly expressed his concern at a press conference: Doping substances and steroids are easy to obtain in India. This is a serious problem. "The government has hardened its tone and proclaimed its intention to criminalize involvement in the trafficking of prohibited substancesin order to deter both suppliers and athletes and their entourage. But results, more than mere announcements, will be needed to convince people.

"It's just a matter of time."

The International Antitrust Agency (ITA) also expressed its concern through its Director General, Benjamin Cohen. We are generally concerned about the doping situation in India and we hear of numerous incidents on the groundhe recently confided to The Athletic. We also hear about athletes running away when a doping control takes place, and we hear about advance notice (given before the controls). "Not very reassuring, indeed."

The ITA met with the Indian Olympic Association in February during the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. However, collaboration between the two organizations is far from guaranteed. To be frank, there is still some reluctance to engage with the ITA, as there can be a perception in India that it is almost an admission of the system's failure, or that they will not be considered competent enough to manage their own problems, and that they must therefore partner with an independent international organization. There is some skepticism about how this will be perceived by the Indian community. "Cohen admits.

There has been some progress, however. The number of checks has doubled between 2019 and 2025, a sign that the Indian authorities are aware of the problem. I would be delighted to see this figure increase, as it would indicate that the system is more efficient. “,” Banka commented. I think they are on the right track, given that we now know the Indian Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Sports want to take action. positive Cohen. They want to invest. They have the necessary resources, so I think it's only a matter of time. "The IOC expects progress, as it seems unthinkable to award the Olympic and Paralympic Games to a country with such an unenviable pedigree in terms of integrity.