File photo of javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
India’s fight against doping received a massive shot in the arm on Friday (June 19, 2026) as javelin throw superstar Neeraj Chopra joined hands with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to launch an educational campaign against the menace that threatens to derail the country’s ambitions of becoming a global sports hub.
At the IOA’s second Athletes Forum in New Delhi, IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer announced that the body has inked a Memorandum of Understanding with the Neeraj Chopra Foundation for the Clean Sports Campaign.
A video message from Chopra, who is currently in Doha for Diamond League participation, was played out in which the two-time Olympic medallist talked about why he chose to take this initiative. India is bidding to host the 2036 Olympic Games in Ahmedabad and a poor doping record could dent the country’s chances.
“I have seen how kids want to enhance performance by doping to win big medals. But from my story, I can tell you it took me 10 years to get to the Olympic medal (a gold in Tokyo 2021 followed by silver at Paris 2024 Games,” the 28-year-old said.
“You need patience to achieve something in sports. I am seeing that patience has come down in today’s kids. They want to achieve things quickly, cross 80m (in javelin throw) in one year. It takes five years to do something like that,” he added.
The initiative comes at a time when India has been topping the World Anti Doping Agency’s annual list of highest dope offenders for the last three years.
A few weeks back, the country was categorised as a high-risk one for doping by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) and WADA President Witold Banka did not mince words during a recent trip, saying that India has a serious doping problem even though efforts are being made to address it.
The initiative seeks to strengthen understanding of anti-doping regulations, reduce the risk of inadvertent doping violations and encourage a “culture of integrity and fair play at all levels of sport.”
Iyer said the campaign will leverage athlete-led storytelling, digital education tools, workshops and on-ground engagement programmes to make clean sport education more accessible, relatable and impactful for athletes across disciplines and age groups.
“…during my journey, I have learnt that success is never achieved overnight. It comes from years of discipline, sacrifice and doing the right things consistently,” Chopra said in his message.
“Clean sport is not only about rules, it is also about creating a comfortable safe space for athletes where they can clear their doubts about supplements and performance pressure which can serve as a sensitive anti-doping exercise,” he added.
The Sports Ministry is hoping to address the problem more aggressively by criminalising the supply and procurement of banned substances through amendments to the existing anti-doping law.
IOA’s joint effort with Chopra was in the making for the past six months.
A source close to the Haryana superstar told PTI that he took the lead in reaching out to the IOA, which was more than welcoming of his plan. Chopra, it is learnt, had been mulling over the plan for the past one year, concerned by the damage that doping cases were causing to India’s international image.
“For around six months, we had a discussion with him because he is the achiever. People should believe him players should believe him. He has already won the Olympic medal and has shown that you should do hard work,” IOA President PT Usha said while replying to questions from PTI.
“Dope is temporary. We should believe the person who has already achieved. We are 100 per cent supporting him. It’s a joint effort because we also want to do something and it’s great that the real champion has come forward,” she added.
Iyer said the move will go a long way in building an ecosystem where athletes can thrive while “upholding the highest standards of integrity and fair play.”
Founded in 2023, the Neeraj Chopra Foundation seeks to “democratise sports” by upgrading local training facilities, funding young athletes, and providing elite-level resources, including sports science, optimal nutrition, and injury prevention awareness to them.
Published – June 19, 2026 12:34 pm IST
