Key Highlights
- India reaffirmed leadership as Vice‑Chairperson of the COP10 Bureau, steering anti‑doping policy across the Asia‑Pacific region for 2025‑2027.
- The 2025 conference witnessed over 500 delegates, including IOC, WADA and African Union representatives, focusing on compliance frameworks and emerging doping risks.
- India’s “Values Education through Sport” initiative was adopted, promising nationwide harmonisation of value‑based anti‑doping programmes.
- The COP10 anniversary celebrated the Convention’s 20 years, the sole binding treaty dedicated to eradicating doping worldwide.
Detailed Insights
Under the leadership of Hari Ranjan Rao, Secretary (Sports), and Anant Kumar, Director General of the National Anti‑Doping Agency, India led vigorous discussions with more than 190 State Parties. The delegation presented interactive boards outlining the Convention’s milestones and proposed a new framework to strengthen compliance mechanisms.
The forum, held from 20‑22 October 2025 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, was a milestone session that combined policy‑making with technical briefings. India played a decisive role in advocating for the integration of the Values Education through Sport (VETS) approach, ensuring that ethical values become mainstream in athletic training.
India’s re‑election is seen as a testament to its growing influence in global sports governance and a strategic push to establish the nation as a thought leader in clean‑sport promotion, aligning with domestic initiatives such as the Fit India Movement and Khelo India.