Mandaviya seeks wider anti doping reach across sports

Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday chaired a review meeting of the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) in New Delhi, focusing on strengthening India’s anti-doping framework, expanding testing capabilities and promoting awareness among athletes.During the meeting, Dr. Mandaviya emphasised the need for preventive measures against doping and announced that athletes participating in the National Games and Khelo India competitions will undergo mandatory anti-doping awareness sessions.Dr.Mandaviya said creating awareness at an early stage of an athlete’s career is crucial to promoting clean sport and preventing inadvertent doping violations. He highlighted that education and awareness must go hand in hand with enforcement measures to address the growing challenge of doping in Indian sports.Dr. Mandaviya also announced that the ‘Know Your Medicine’ mobile application will be translated into regional languages to improve accessibility of anti-doping information for athletes, coaches and support staff across the country.He said making information available in local languages would help sporting communities better understand prohibited substances and enable informed decisions.

Chaired the Governing Body meeting of the National Dope Testing Laboratory in New Delhi today.

Under PM Shri @narendramodi ji's leadership, institutions like NDTL are helping in strengthening the anti-doping ecosystem across the nation. pic.twitter.com/ytPt9KoSS2

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) June 25, 2026

According to agency reports,highlighting NDTL’s growing role in the global anti-doping ecosystem, the Minister said India aims to increase the testing of samples from international athletes at the laboratory. He noted that NDTL’s technical capabilities and compliance with global standards provide an opportunity for the facility to contribute more significantly to international anti-doping efforts.Dr. Mandaviya further called for expanding anti-doping awareness campaigns to villages, schools, colleges and sporting institutions. He stressed that addressing doping requires a broader social movement focused on promoting clean sports and clean athletes rather than relying only on penalties.
NDTL, India’s only World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory, continues to strengthen the country’s anti-doping programme through advanced infrastructure, scientific research and improved testing methods. The laboratory has contributed to major sporting events, developed advanced testing techniques such as Dried Blood Spot (DBS) analysis and undertaken synthesis of reference materials to enhance anti-doping science.The meeting was attended by Shreyasi Singh, shooter and Minister for Industries and Sports, Government of Bihar; Hari Ranjan Rao, Secretary (Sports); senior officials from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports; representatives of National Sports Federations; scientists and Dr. P. L. Sahu, Director and CEO (in-charge), NDTL.