India Tops Global Dope Offenders List Again, Faces Stricter Testing

India has once again topped the Athletics Integrity Unit's list of dope offenders, with 162 names, underscoring a persistent doping crisis in the nation's sports. Kenya and Russia follow with significant numbers. The Athletics Federation of India has been re-categorised to Category A, signifying the highest doping risk, demanding more stringent testing protocols due to an inadequate domestic anti-doping program.

New Delhi: India remained the worst offender in Athletics Integrity Unit's (AIU) global list of dope offenders, accounting for the highest number of 162 names, once again highlighting the huge magnitude of the problem that plagues the country's sporting landscape.

Kenya took the second spot with 148 names in the list, followed by Russia with over 60 cases.

The list includes persons serving bans for doping offences. It also includes persons who have committed non-doping violations such as tampering, evading testing, trafficking, or missing whereabouts, which carry the same penalties as a doping offence.

The Athletics Integrity Unit is an independent anti-doping watchdog established by World Athletics. It has jurisdiction over international level athletes and their support staff.

India first surpassed Kenya in April this year and it remained unchanged in June as well.

In April, India was also designated as a country with "extremely high" risk of doping by World Athletics after topping the list of doping offenders for the past two years.

In a decision taken recently by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) Board, Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has been re-categorised from Category B to Category A under Rule 15 of the World Athletics' Anti-Doping Rules.

"Unfortunately, the quality of the domestic anti-doping programme is simply not proportionate to the doping risk," AIU Chair David Howman had said in a release.

India has ranked in the top two for the most Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) in athletics between 2022 and 2025.

According to AIU, India recorded 48 ADRVs (ranked 2nd) in 2022, 63 (ranked 2nd) in 2023, 71 (ranked 1st) in 2024 and 30 ADRVs (ranked 1st) in 2025.

Under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules, the AIU Board categorises all Member Federations according to their doping risk to the sport. Category 'A' Member Federations, representing the highest risk, are subject to more stringent requirements, including extensive testing of their national team athletes.

Category 'B' Member Federations represent a medium doping risk while Category 'C' Member Federations represent a low doping risk.

After every three years, the AIU Board determines the category of each Member Federation by taking into account doping history of athletes, and athlete support personnel, among other aspects.

The AIU, however, may change a Member Federation's assigned category at any time within the three years.

A Category 'A' Member Federation has to ensure that there is an effective, annual testing programme maintained and implemented within their jurisdiction that complies with the International Standard for Testing and Investigations.

The Testing Programme must ensure that athletes of the national team in any World Athletics Series Event, Olympic Games or World Athletics Ultimate Championship, and who are not already on the International Registered Testing Pool, have been adequately tested.