World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) President, Witold Banka, who is on a whirlwind tour of India, met Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special director Manoj Sashidhar here on Wednesday to discuss cooperation in tackling organised doping and the criminal networks behind the menace.

Banka had met National Anti-Doping Agency officials on Monday for “urgent and serious” discussions on protecting the “integrity of sport” in India. Banka is scheduled to hold a press conference in Delhi on Thursday in which he is expected to address India’s poor doping numbers.

“An important meeting with Mr. Manoj Sashidhar, special director of the CBI, in Delhi. As part of the Global Anti-Doping Intelligence and Investigations Network, we emphasized close cooperation with law enforcement to tackle organized doping and the criminal networks behind it,” Banka posted on social media.

On Tuesday, he had met sports secretary Hari Ranjan Rao.

“Our exchange underlined the importance of effective governance and policy in strengthening anti-doping efforts and supporting the integrity of sport in India,” he had stated.

Last year, India became the country with the second worst record of doping cases in a 10-year global study of WADA.

The country also topped the list of highest number of dope violations for a third successive year.

India returned a positivity rate of 3.6 per cent, accounting for 260 Adverse Analytical Findings (AAF), the highest among all major countries.

Sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya has repeatedly promised an aggressive crackdown on doping, and while speaking in the Parliament recently he stated that agencies like the CBI are being involved for strengthening NADA’s intelligence and investigative infrastructure.

Published on Apr 15, 2026