A major doping scandal has emerged from the recently concluded 38th National Games, with 11 athletes — many of them medal winners — testing positive for banned substances. The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) confirmed that six of the athletes are from Punjab, while several are from Uttarakhand.
Eight of the 11 athletes have been placed under provisional suspension. Among the most prominent is Amritpal Singh from Punjab, a gold medalist in basketball, who had previously failed a doping test in 2020. If found guilty again, he may face an eight-year ban. Wushu players Neeraj Joshi and Rahul Tomar were also found to have used multiple prohibited substances.
Tamil Nadu’s weightlifter Elish Arokia, a national record holder in the 87kg category and a strong contender for gold at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, has also tested positive.
NADA’s investigation is ongoing, and more names may be added. Last year, 25 athletes were caught in Goa, while 16 and 10 athletes tested positive at the Kerala (2015) and Gujarat (2022) Games, respectively.
