Mandaviya Chairs UNESCO Anti-Doping COP10 Bureau Meeting

Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya chaired the third formal meeting of the COP10 Bureau and the fourth formal meeting of the Fund’s Approval Committee for 2026-27, held in New Delhi under the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport.

India’s message on clean sport

The Minister told the Bureau that sporting excellence must always go with integrity, and that every athlete deserves a fair chance in which talent, preparation and hard work decide the result rather than prohibited substances or methods. He recalled that the Prime Minister has repeatedly stressed clean sport and zero tolerance towards doping.

The law and what is coming next

Dr Mandaviya said the country’s legal and institutional machinery had been reinforced by the National Anti-Doping Act of 2022 together with the amendment of 2025; July 2026 was the month in which the two took effect. He announced that a further amendment will be brought in the next session of Parliament, which aims to introduce criminal provisions so that violations can be dealt with more effectively, including those by coaches and by stakeholders in the supply chain.

Testing and awareness figures

The National Anti-Doping Agency of India worked on risk-based testing and intelligence-led investigations during the year, while the Know Your Medicine mobile application helped athletes make informed choices about medicines.

A classroom toolkit

The Minister spoke of a forthcoming Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Ministry of Education and UNESCO to bring the Sport Values in Every Classroom Toolkit to India, carrying sporting values, ethics and integrity to young students.

What the meeting discussed

Deliberations covered a framework document on the roles and responsibilities of public authorities in the global anti-doping system, stronger anti-doping education and academic research through the National Compliance Platform, resource mobilisation, and the Fund’s Operational Strategy for 2026-2031.

Who attended

• Farid Gayibov, Minister of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan and Chairperson of the COP10 Bureau
• Luke McCann, Chairperson of the Approval Committee of the Fund for the Elimination of Doping in Sport
• Hari Ranjan Rao, Secretary (Sports), and Vice-Chairperson of the COP10 Bureau
• Gustavo Merino, Director for Social Policies and Inclusion, UNESCO
• Bureau and Fund Approval Committee members from Zambia, Spain and the Russian Federation

India sits on the Bureau as a Vice-Chairperson representing Group IV.