New Delhi, Apr 16 : World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) President Witold Banka on Thursday emphasized that India urgently needs enhanced anti-doping education to prevent mistakes by clean athletes who inadvertently violate rules.
“Every positive test is a different story, but we have to take into account all the circumstances. That’s why we need in India better education, more educational actions to prevent and support those who are clean and who don’t want to cheat, but make mistakes. So this is the room for education,” Banka said during a press conference in Delhi.
Banka acknowledged India’s serious doping problem—the country has topped WADA’s list of dope offenders for three consecutive years with the highest positivity rate among major nations—but praised “sincere efforts” to address it, including participation in INTERPOL-backed ‘Operation Upstream’ targeting global steroid suppliers.
He called for NADA to implement targeted testing alongside a strong educational programme, stressing that education is “not an optional extra” but the most effective way to protect athletes and prevent doping. Banka also reiterated his long-held view that doping should be criminalised, focusing punishment on suppliers and enablers rather than athletes.
India, which aims to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and 2036 Olympics, must achieve WADA compliance to realise these aspirations, Banka noted.
