India was named on Wednesday as the second-worst country in a decade-long global survey of positive underage doping cases conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Russia tops the list, followed by India and China, in the report that WADA published on Wednesday on the findings of ‘Operation Refuge’, a broad analysis and investigation into doping among minors in sports.
“Countries with the most positive tests against minors were (in descending order) Russia, India and China. Countries with the most sanctioned minors were Russia, India and China,” WADA said in the report.
“The most commonly found banned substances in minors from those countries were furosemide, nandrolone (or its precursors), 15 and clenbuterol, respectively.
“The Banned Substances most responsible for sanctions in those countries were Furosemide, Stanozolol, 21 and Clenbuterol respectively,” the world’s anti-doping watchdog said of the three worst countries when it comes to underage doping.
A minor is defined by the WADA Code as a person under the age of eighteen years.
Since 2012, 1,518 adverse analytical findings (positive tests) have been reported against 1,416 minors, with diuretics, stimulants and anabolic steroids being the most commonly detected substances.
Overall, the substances most likely to result in a doping violation and sanction were Furosemide and Metandienone, the report said.
The youngest minor to be punished for a doping violation was 12 years old.
“Between 2018 and 2023, 58 confidential reports involving minors in doping conduct were received through WADA’s confidential reporting platform, Speak Up,” the report said.
“Analysis of these disclosures revealed that the majority came from Russia and India, and that the most reported sports worldwide were aquatics and athletics.”
Operation Refuge’ reports in detail on the deep trauma and isolation that child athletes experience after a positive test and doping sanction.
The report, prepared by WADA’s Intelligence and Research Division, sheds light on the immense challenges faced by minors, their families and the anti-doping community when a child tests positive for a banned substance or method.
WADA Director of Intelligence and Research, Gunter Younger, said: ‘Operation Refuge’ puts a spotlight on a difficult but important issue. WADA’s Confidential Information Unit first raised the issue because it was concerned about the number of reports coming through Speak Up!’ was received.’ platform regarding doping activities among minor athletes.”
“The unit was driven by a desire to change the way WADA and the anti-doping community investigate these cases. What started as a simple idea evolved into a two-year Intelligence and Research Initiative to engage the entire anti-doping community to do better. .”
“Through this initiative, we are forging a better path forward for minors around the world. We are working to ensure that the experiences of those interviewed during this operation are not repeated.
Background information about Operation Refuge’
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In early 2021, WADA’s Confidential Information Unit (CIU) noted an increase in confidential reports of doping activity among minors, including pre-teen athletes.
Although the lack of detail in many of these reports prevented substantive enforcement action, WADA followed up on each case and initiated investigations where necessary.
WADA was concerned about the nature and extent of the reporting, which led to the launch of Operation Refuge. It examined the doping activities of minors with a view to identifying patterns of offending, deficiencies in governance and possible strategies to better address the issue of underage doping.
WADA President Witold Banka said: “The data, conclusions and stories in the Operation Refuge report should resonate loudly for all of us in the sporting world.
“My hope is that the findings, and more importantly the first-hand accounts from minors and their support networks, will create a strong sense of urgency within the anti-doping community about the ways in which we can better support young people who find themselves in these types of situations to protect. situations in the future,” Banka said in the report.
He said sport, regardless of the level of competition, should remain a safe space for children.
“First and foremost, more concerted coordination is needed within the anti-doping community when dealing with minors within the anti-doping process.”
The report outlines immediate action that anti-doping organizations and governments must take to implement specific policies or practices for dealing with minors.
“Currently, many Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs) lack specific policies and procedures for dealing with minors, or specialized personnel trained to deal with issues when they arise in this area.
“With regard to WADA, we are continuing our internal review of this issue and encourage stakeholders to submit suggestions for improvement as part of the Agency’s 2027 World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards Update process currently underway. is underway,” said Banka.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
First print: January 25, 2024 | 8:31 am IST