AIU downgrades India to Category A, flags as ‘extremely high’ doping risk

India’s athletics anti-doping record has come under sharper focus after the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) moved the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) from Category B to Category A under World Athletics Rule 15, calling the doping risk in India “extremely high.” The change means Indian track and field athletes will now face stricter testing rules, including more out-of-competition checks and pre-event blood tests for national team members.

AIU decision

The AIU Board said India had stayed among the top two countries for anti-doping rule violations in athletics from 2022 to 2025, which is the main reason for the downgrade. In its statement, the AIU also said the domestic anti-doping setup is not strong enough for the level of risk seen in India.

This step places AFI in the highest-risk group under Rule 15, alongside federations that need the closest monitoring. According to the AIU, Category A federations must meet tougher testing and reporting standards than Category B or Category C federations.

What Category A means

For Indian athletes, Category A does not mean a ban, but it does mean more testing and tighter checks. National team athletes who are not already in the International Registered Testing Pool must be tested properly before major events, and the process must include in-competition testing, no-notice out-of-competition testing, and pre-competition blood testing.

If athletes train or live outside India, the Category A federation still has to make sure they are tested abroad. The samples also have to go to WADA-accredited labs for full analysis, which adds another layer of control.

India’s ADRV numbers

The AIU’s concern is linked to the rise in anti-doping rule violations in Indian athletics over recent years. India recorded 48 ADRVs in 2022, 63 in 2023, 71 in 2024, and 30 so far in 2025, with India ranked among the top two countries in the sport during that period.

India’s athletics ADRVs by year

The 2024 figure is especially striking because India moved to the top of the list in athletics. The AIU said the numbers show a long-running, high-risk situation that needs stronger control.

WADA 2024 report

The World Anti-Doping Agency’s 2024 report added to the concern by showing 260 positive cases from India in 2024, which was the highest number in the world. The report also showed that NADA collected 7,113 samples in India, giving the country a positivity rate of 3.6 percent.

India in WADA 2024 testing figures

These figures placed India ahead of other major testing countries in terms of positive results. China, for example, conducted 24,214 tests and reported 43 positives, while several countries tested more athletes than India but returned fewer positives.

Comments from AIU and AFI

AIU chair David Howman said India’s doping situation has been high-risk for a long time and that the domestic anti-doping program has not matched the size of the problem. He said the AIU will now work with AFI to push reforms and protect the sport’s integrity.

AFI spokesperson and World Athletics vice president Adille Sumariwalla welcomed the move as a positive step. He told The Indian Express that more scrutiny, better intelligence gathering, more out-of-competition testing, and stronger testing at state and district level are all needed.

Sumariwalla also said criminalising doping could act as a strong deterrent. He added that education has already been done, and now the focus should move to regulation and action.

Rule 15 explained

Rule 15 of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules sets out how national federations are grouped by doping risk. Category A is the highest-risk level, Category B is the middle level, and Category C is the lowest.

The rule was introduced in 2019 to make national federations more responsible for anti-doping work in their countries. It allows the AIU Board to change a federation’s category if the risk level changes, which is what happened with AFI.

Rule 15 categories

How the testing changes

Category A federations must keep a proper testing plan for national team athletes and make sure it is followed in full. They also have to share testing lists and plans within set timelines and submit updated reports when asked.

The obligations include no-notice testing, blood testing, and urine testing. The AIU guidance for Category A also asks federations to ensure athletes selected for major championships are tested before competition under a clear and documented program.

Category A testing requirements

India’s wider doping picture

The numbers in athletics sit within a broader national concern. India has often been reported among the countries with the highest number of doping positives in international testing reports, and the 2024 WADA data kept that pattern in place.

NADA’s testing volume also matters because the number of positives came from a relatively limited pool of samples compared with some other major sporting countries. The WADA figures showed that India’s positivity rate was among the highest, even though countries like China, Germany, France, Russia, Italy, and the UK tested more athletes overall.

Sample comparison from WADA 2024 report

Public response and silence from officials

The sports ministry did not comment when contacted, and NADA director general Anant Kumar also did not respond, according to the report. That silence leaves the AIU decision as the strongest official statement in the public domain for now.

The issue is also being discussed in the background of India’s wider sports governance image, since doping record was one of the points raised during the country’s 2036 Olympic pitch in Lausanne last year.

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