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India Strengthens Anti-Doping Fight with High-Level National Compliance Meet

The fourth meeting of the National Compliance Platform was held to address emerging doping challenges in Indian sports. Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao led a review of current measures and emphasized coordinated enforcement and supply-chain monitoring. Key concerns discussed included mislabelled nutritional supplements, prescription medicine misuse, and the online sale of banned substances. The meeting concluded with a call for a comprehensive national strategy to ensure compliance with global standards and protect athlete health and India's sporting reputation.

Key Points: India's National Compliance Platform Meets on Anti-Doping Strategy

  • Review of national anti-doping measures
  • Focus on contaminated supplements & online sales
  • Push for stronger inter-ministerial coordination
  • Call for structured athlete education programs
2 min read

Sports Secretary chairs National Compliance Platform meeting to strengthen anti-doping framework

Sports Secretary chairs meeting to strengthen India's anti-doping framework, focusing on enforcement, supplement safety, and inter-agency coordination.

"coordinated enforcement, stronger supply-chain monitoring, and greater awareness to reduce the risk of accidental doping - Hari Ranjan Rao"

New Delhi, Feb 16

The fourth meeting of the National Compliance Platform, which focused on emerging doping challenges in sports, was held on Monday under the leadership of the Secretary at the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.

Hari Ranjan Rao, Secretary (Sports), conducted a comprehensive review of anti-doping measures undertaken by various stakeholders and discussed ways to strengthen inter-ministerial coordination to prevent doping and promote clean and fair sports across the country.

Rao emphasised the importance of coordinated enforcement, stronger supply-chain monitoring, and greater awareness to reduce the risk of accidental doping and preserve the integrity of sports.

Discussions also focused on enhancing regulatory oversight, strengthening testing and surveillance, and improving intelligence sharing among enforcement agencies.

Participants highlighted emerging concerns, including contaminated or mislabelled nutritional supplements, misuse of prescription medicines, and the online sale and promotion of banned or unapproved substances. Stakeholders emphasised the need to expand sample testing, improve laboratory capacity, and verify supplements through accredited laboratories in collaboration with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

The meeting underscored the importance of structured anti-doping education programmes for athletes and coaches, establishing an effective grievance redressal system, and strictly enforcing the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, particularly Schedule H provisions requiring prescription-based drug sales, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports informed in a release on Monday.

It also called for a comprehensive national strategy to tackle doping at its source, ensure compliance with global anti-doping standards, and protect athlete health, sporting integrity, and India's international reputation.

Representatives from several key organisations attended, including the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Law & Justice, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, Narcotics Control Bureau, National Anti-Doping Agency, Sports Authority of India, and the Paralympic Committee of India, among others.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Finally! Inter-ministerial coordination is the key. Often, the NADA catches an athlete, but the source of the banned substance is never found. If NCB, CDSCO, and others work together, we can catch the suppliers and protect our sportspersons.
A
Aman W
Good intentions, but will it translate to action on the ground? We have great policies but poor implementation. The online sale of banned substances is rampant. Hope this meeting leads to actual crackdowns and not just another file noting.
S
Sarah B
Education for athletes and coaches is the most important part. Many doping cases are accidental. In a country obsessed with cricket, we need to ensure all sports, especially Olympic disciplines, have access to proper guidance on supplements and medicines.
V
Vikram M
Protecting India's international reputation is vital. Every time an Indian athlete tests positive, it casts a shadow on all our hardworking sportspersons. A strong anti-doping framework will build trust and show the world we are serious about clean sports. 🇮🇳
K
Karthik V
The mention of Schedule H drugs is important. In many local chemists, you can get prescription medicines without any prescription. This is a major loophole that needs to be plugged to prevent misuse by athletes.

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