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≡ DOPING IN ATHLETICS ≡
The Athletics Integrity Unit published its 30 September list of doping violations during the month, with a heavy 34-name roster, including 12 from India and four from Russia, and three each from China, Kenya, and the U.S.
The “Global List of Ineligible Persons” was a lot longer, with a total of 669 persons listed and some familiar countries at the top of the list (includes athletes and support personnel):
● 142: Kenya
● 129: India
● 65: Russia
● 35: China
● 21: Turkey
● 20: South Africa
● 19: Italy
● 16: Ethiopia
● 16: Ukraine
● 15: United States
● 12: Kuwait
● 12: Morocco
● 11: Nigeria
● 10: France
● 9: Brazil
With three-quarters of the year now completed, this has not been a good year in terms of shrinking the number of doping ineligibles as the roster has increased DRAMATICALLY. Consider the current totals vs. the same list as of the end of 2024:
● 31 Dec. 2024: 481 listed from 75 national federations
● 30 Sep. 2025: 669 listed from 70 national federations
That’s 188 more or a 39.1% increase over nine months! The top five at the end of 2024 vs. the end of September:
● 119 vs. 142: Kenya = +23
● 108 vs. 128: India = +20
● 65 vs. 73: Russia = –8
● 26 vs. 35: China = +9
● 20 vs. 21: Turkey = +1
Kenya, India and China accounted for 52 more ineligibles, more than a quarter of the additions, but the Russian total has continued to come down.
Comparing to the year-end total for 2022, almost three years ago, and 2024, to now:
● Kenya: 54 for 2022 vs. 119 for 2024 vs. 142 at 30 Sep. 2025
● India: 65 for 2022 vs. 108 for 2024 vs. 128 at 30 Sep. 2025
● Russia: 92 for 2022 vs. 73 for 2024 vs. 65 at 30 Sep. 2025
This is dramatic: in three years, Kenya’s presence on the list of ineligibles has risen from 54 to 142 and for India, from 65 to 128! The reverse is true for Russia, down from 92 to 65.
The Kenyan government pledged more support for anti-doping in 2022, with a $5 million program for each of five years ($25 million) total, and AIU chief executive Brett Clothier (AUS) told the BBC in mid-2023:
“Everyone has to be prepared because there are going to be a lot more doping cases in Kenya in the next few months and years.
“I’m trying to tell everyone: ‘Don’t be surprised. Don’t be shocked’. This is what needs to happen to get this under control. It’s now or never.”
He looks like a prophet now, but the added funding also runs out in 2027. What then?
India is vying hard to be the host of the 2036 Olympic Games, but its doping record – noting that track & field is just one sport on the Olympic program – is a mark against it, as was shoddy organization of its last multi-sport hosting, the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
When does all of this turn around?
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