Doping Dilemma: Rising Positivity Rates in Indian Athletics

Triple jumper Sheena Varkey has been suspended by NADA after testing positive for a banned substance. This highlights the growing issue of doping among Indian athletes, as India's positivity rate for banned substances notably exceeds other major countries. Athletics, particularly, faces the highest number of positive cases.

Sheena Varkey, a prominent triple jumper who has earned multiple national-level medals and represented India internationally, finds herself in troubled waters. The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has suspended her after she tested positive for a banned substance. Varkey, aged 32, also participated in the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.

A well-informed source confirmed the suspension but withheld specifics about the prohibited substance involved. Hailing from Kerala, Varkey clinched a silver medal at the Uttarakhand National Games and a bronze at the Federation Cup. Her achievements include a silver at the 2018 Asian Indoor Championships. Regrettably, this adds to the unsettling pattern of doping violations among Indian athletes.

On another front, discus thrower Gagandeep Singh accepted a three-year ban after testing positive for testosterone metabolites. India's doping challenge is underscored by a 3.8% positivity rate in 2023, as reported by the World Anti-Doping Agency, starkly higher than nations like China and the USA. Athletics remains the hardest hit, with 61 positive cases from 1223 samples.