India records 78 doping cases till July 15; Uttar Pradesh, Punjab top list: Sports Minister Mandaviya
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reported 78 doping cases in India as of July 15, 2026, with Uttar Pradesh and Punjab recording the highest number of violations. The government continues to implement anti-doping awareness programs through NADA to promote clean sports.
Why it matters
High rates of doping violations threaten the integrity of Indian sports and the health of athletes, necessitating stricter regulatory oversight.
“India has recorded 78 doping cases till July 15, 2026 with Uttar Pradesh and Punjab accounting for the biggest share of 13 violations each so far,” Sports Minister Manuskh Mandaviya revealed on Monday (July 20, 2026), in response to a query in Lok Sabha.
After BJP MP Sambit Patra posed a query on the number of athletes who have tested positive for banned substances during the last three years, Mr. Mandaviya, in a written response, said 78 Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs) have been recorded so far in 2026.
"These athletes have been banned from the Sports activities in accordance with the National Anti-Doping Rules, 2021. The sanctions, as determined by the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) include disqualification of results, forfeiture of medals/prizes, period of ineligibility from participation in sports, and other consequences as prescribed under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code 2021," the Minister stated.
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