Union Minister of 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.
This initiative reaffirms India’s commitment to promoting clean and transparent sports practices on both national and international platforms. Speaking during the occasion, Dr. Mandaviya said, “APMU is a key milestone in India’s fight against doping, enabling the 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”. Calling the APMU as a beacon of support for Global South, Union Minister said it will help our neighbouring countries that don’t have enough resources to set up similar systems.
“By sharing knowledge and tools, India can support these nations in keeping their sports free from unfair practices. Such initiatives underline the spirit of solidarity and contribute to strengthening sports integrity across Global South”, he added.
Dr. Mandaviya emphasized the potential of regional collaboration, highlighting India’s readiness to extend support to neighbouring countries by sharing expertise and resources through the APMU.
He said that there is a need for greater involvement of Sports Federations, Organizations, Universities and Institutes of early education on Doping and the launch of awareness companion in Rural Areas.
Further, he mentioned that scientists working in the laboratories may give education to the students of various schools / universities about Anti – Doping Science to sensitize the students about doping.
The NDTL’s APMU is designed to align with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) guidelines, strengthening anti-doping programme globally. By tracking parameters like blood and steroidal profiles over time, this unit will safeguard the credibility of clean athletes while ensuring a level playing field in sports.
Notably, this is the 17th Athlete Passport Management Unit in the world which is established in India. It will serve as a specialized body responsible for monitoring and managing biological passports of athletes.
As India continues to excel on the international sports stage, the Athlete Passport Management Unit highlights the nation's strong dedication to maintaining fair play, integrity in sports and also sets a benchmark for ethical sports practices worldwide.
The event was attended by Smt. Sujata Chaturvedi, Secretary (Sports), Shri Kunal, Joint Secretary (Sports), other officers of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports including Eminent–Scientists and Prof. (Dr.) P. L. Sahu, Director & CEO(I/c), NDTL.
Background:
The concept of the "athlete biological passport" emerged when scientists identified monitoring blood markers as a way to detect doping. With input from stakeholders and medical experts, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) refined and standardized this idea, leading to the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP).
A biological passport is an electronic document that compiles data on an athlete's biological markers over time. By tracking variables such as blood parameters, hormonal levels, and other physiological markers, the APMU can detect any anomalies or trends indicative of doping without directly identifying banned substances.