Doping among young athletes in India has reached alarming levels, with evidence of discarded medical supplies found at multiple training facilities, according to an investigation by the German public broadcaster Sportschau.
Reporters visiting athletic stadiums in cities including Rohtak and Delhi discovered hundreds of syringes, needles, and medication wrappers left in close proximity to tracks where children as young as 13 train. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has identified India as having the second-highest number of positive doping tests among minors globally, trailing only Russia.
The discovery of the doping waste in Delhi occurred within the same complex housing the headquarters of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA India). When confronted by reporters, Navin Agarwal, the former head of NADA India, initially described the substances as “glucose and vitamins.”
After being shown packaging for high-performance doping agents found at the site, Agarwal acknowledged the presence of a problem, though he characterized it as limited to “lower-class athletes” who are “misguided or not informed.”
The findings cast a shadow over India’s ambitions to host the 2036 Olympic Games, with the city of Ahmedabad among the seven candidates currently in the running. The International Olympic Committee is expected to select a host in 2029, a decision historically influenced by a nation’s commitment to clean sport, as seen in the selection of Tokyo for the 2020 Games.
Trainer Admits Providing Substances to Minor Athletes
Manikandan Arumugam, a former national sprint champion who now trains athletes in the state of Tamil Nadu, admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs during his own career. In undercover recordings, Arumugam told reporters that he could provide substances for minor athletes, claiming that “from 16 years, it is possible” to use mild steroids, growth hormones, or testosterone boosters.
Arumugam has previously coached Dhanalakshmi Sekar, an Olympian at the 2021 Tokyo Games who was later sanctioned for doping. Nachdem Dhanalakshmi Sekar 2025 nach einer vorangegangenen Dopingsperre in den Wettkampfsport zurückgekehrt war und erneut unter Manikandan Arumugam trainierte, wurde sie wieder positiv getestet und für acht Jahre gesperrt.
While reports indicate that authorities are investigating the trainer, he has not been publicly charged with offenses related to the doping of minors.
Other athletes described a culture where the pressure to win is perceived as an endorsement of drug use. Aishwarya Bhardwaj, a hammer thrower, said that athletes are frequently told that using doping is a requirement to achieve Olympic gold.
Former hurdler Nanhi Pannu detailed her personal experience after being given steroids by a coach at age 14, reporting side effects that lasted for three years, including significant physical changes and vocal deepening.
Decentralized Infrastructure Hinders Oversight of Adult Facilitators
Legal experts suggest that the sheer scale of India’s population and the decentralized nature of its sports training infrastructure hinder effective oversight. Parth Goswami, a lawyer specializing in sports law, said that while young athletes face severe penalties—including four-year bans—the investigation into the adults who facilitate this doping remains infrequent.
Goswami criticized the lack of consistency in how rules are applied, suggesting that anti-doping institutions often push for maximum sanctions against minors to avoid the risk of WADA appealing for harsher penalties. The result, according to the report, is a system that punishes the youth while often failing to address the underlying networks of trainers and suppliers.
NADA India did not respond to requests for comment regarding the findings or the investigation into systemic doping practices. For survivors like Pannu, the hope remains that the spotlight on the issue, potentially fueled by the scrutiny of an Olympic bid, might eventually force a change in the culture. “I don’t want,” she said, “that others have to go through that, especially no girls.”
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