India Launches Athlete Passport Management Unit at NDTL to Strengthen Fight Against Doping

New Delhi: In a landmark step towards promoting clean sports and fair play, Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, inaugurated the Athlete Passport Management Unit (APMU) at the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) in New Delhi today. The facility is India’s latest stride in aligning with international anti-doping standards and ensuring the integrity of its sporting ecosystem.

Describing the APMU as a “key milestone in India’s fight against doping,” Dr. Mandaviya emphasized that the unit will enable longitudinal tracking of athletes’ biological profiles through the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) system. “This innovative mechanism will help in detecting doping patterns and protect the fairness of sports by identifying unethical practices,” he said.

Significantly, this APMU is the 17th such unit in the world, further reinforcing India’s growing stature in global sports governance. The system monitors parameters like blood and steroid profiles over time, acting as a powerful tool in safeguarding clean athletes and ensuring a level playing field.

Dr. Mandaviya also called the APMU a “beacon of support for the Global South,” highlighting its potential to aid neighboring nations lacking similar infrastructure. “By sharing knowledge and tools, India can support these countries in keeping their sports clean. It’s an expression of regional solidarity and a step towards global sports integrity,” he added.

He underlined the need for stronger collaboration with sports federations, educational institutions, and rural communities to spread awareness on anti-doping practices. “Scientists working in these labs should engage directly with students at schools and universities to educate them on anti-doping science,” Dr. Mandaviya proposed, calling for awareness campaigns across rural India.

The newly launched APMU adheres to the guidelines set by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and is expected to boost global efforts against doping. By monitoring athletes’ biological parameters over time, it enables early detection of abnormal variations that may indicate doping.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by senior officials including Sujata Chaturvedi, Secretary (Sports); Kunal, Joint Secretary (Sports); and Prof. (Dr.) P.L. Sahu, Director & CEO (In-charge), NDTL, alongside other eminent scientists and dignitaries from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

As India continues to rise in the global sports arena, the establishment of the APMU reaffirms the country’s unwavering commitment to fair play, ethical sportsmanship, and international cooperation in creating a cleaner, more transparent sporting world.