What Minister Of Youth Affairs And Sports Said About Doping In Indian Sports? (image/pixabay)
New Delhi: In response to a question raised in the Parliament over the steps taken by the government to prevent doping in Indian sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, the minister of youth Affairs and Sports responded by stating the initiatives taken to prevent them, with a special focus on the High-performance training Centres.
Elaborating on the question asked in the Lok Sabha, listing out the 8 preventive measures, the government stated that a comprehensive anti-doping education and awareness programme was implemented targeting athletes, coaches and support staff, especially the ones who are preparing for the Paris Olympics, and Paralympics Games 2024.
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“This initiative includes workshops, seminars and webinars on anti-doping rules, regulations and consequences”.
Listing out the educational activities conducted in the past two years, the government stated that 220 activities in 2023 and 270 in 2024 were conducted.
Secondly, an Anti-Doping Education and Learning (ADEL) platform developed by WADA, is actively promoted, offering stakeholders access to detailed online courses on anti-doping measures. The minister stated that the platform has seen significant growth as well.
Thirdly, events such as “Road to Paris” held on February 9, 2024, were organized for the National Sports Federation (NSFs), prospective Olympic athletes and stakeholders.
Under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPs), regular anti-doping education sessions were also conducted, the minister noted.
Further, social media campaigns actively promoted the “Know Your Medicine” (KYM) app and ADEL, assisting athletes in identifying prohibited substances and preventing inadvertent doping violations.
The minister further stated that the athletes were continuously updated on the latest regulations and prohibited substances through TV and radio sessions, audio-visual content, and videos.
Lastly, NADA India has taken part in the WADA Play True Day campaign by organizing webinars, seminars, and engaging competitions to amplify anti-doping awareness.
When asked about the details of the number of athletes tested for banned substances in 2024, the government responded that 6,119 dope tests have been conducted since 31st October.
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Listing out the preventative measures, the minister stated that they have increased awareness through education, increased the countrywide presence of NADA and collaboration with states as well.
