Sports Minister Anurag Thakur opens India’s first supplement testing laboratory for Indian athletes ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics

Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports, Anurag Thakur has urged the Indian athletes bound for the Paris 2024 Olympics to play with integrity and fairness to maintain India’s progress in sports.

On Friday, February 9, Thakur was part of the event, Road to Paris 2024, hosted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). He virtually unveiled the plaque to inaugurate the Centre for Excellence in Nutritional Supplements Testing for Sportspersons (CoE-NSTS) at the National Forensic Science University, Gandhinagar.

The CoE-NSTS stands as India’s first laboratory dedicated to screening nutritional supplements for contaminants listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited substances list.

This initiative supports Indian athletes in accessing dope-free supplements. The establishment of CoE-NSTS started with the signing of the MoU between NADA and the Food Safety Standards Association of India.

“They must observe the spirit of competition and integrity while reflecting India’s aspirations on the global stage,” Thakur said while speaking at the event as quoted by RevSportz.

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First step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat

He further emphasized that this centre is the first initiative towards Atmanirbhar Bharat, adding that combating doping is a collective responsibility of NADA, SAI, IOA and other national sports federations.

“It has been a long-standing desire of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to establish such a centre. This is the first step towards Atma-Nirbhartha (self-dependence) in the area of ensuring that our athletes consume supplements of quality and integrity. While we spend crores on athletes, one mistake by them can be a blot on not only themselves but also the country.

“The fight against doping is a collective responsibility of NADA, Sports Authority of India, Indian Olympic Association, National Sports Federations to ensure that the athletes have a level playing field,” he said.

Thakur concluded his speech by praising the dedication of the country’s athletes and the National Sports Federations, highlighting their relentless efforts to bring glory to the nation.

National Forensic Science University Vice-Chancellor, Dr JM Vyas and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Secretary, Sujata Chaturvedi were also part of the event. With India's aim to host the 2030 Youth Olympics and 2036 Olympics, Sujata stressed the importance of the need for more such centres in the future.