Gandhinagar
The Bharat Centre of Olympic Research & Education (BCORE) at Rashtriya Raksha University featured expert sessions, hands-on workshops and parallel discussions on Anti-doping education and Sports Governance during its second day of 2nd International Olympic Research Conference.
The day marked its start with a vibrant session from Dr. Grzegorz Botwina, (Director of Polish Olympic Studies and Research Centre), on the topic of “India’s Sports Governance Outlook: Global Alignment for an Olympic Future.” Touching upon India’s aspirations for upcoming Olympics, Dr. Botwina explained that elements of nation building including consensus for investment, growth in GDP and soft powers plays a pivotal role in shaping India as a Global Olympic Competitor. As governance issues pose a considerable hurdle in the development of India as a global sport star, he clarified India’s challenges and illuminated alternative governance strategies inspired from the U.K and Netherlands. He shed light on the Sports Governance Act of 2025, calling it a well-designed act that addresses the key governance issues of India. He also emphasized the prominence of the National Sports Board, which has the potential to solve sports issues around the world.
Professor Wolfgang Maennig, Chair of Economic Policy of University of Hamburg, initiated the day further with a keynote session on “Modern Olympic Governance: Transparency, Accountability& Anti-Corruption Measures.” Introducing some high-profile cases of corruption that created a plague over the Olympics since 1988 to the audience, Prof. Maennig highlighted the systematic failures of Olympic structure and opinionated that corruption is the result of economic calculation of certain deviant individuals. Considering India’s stake for Olympics of 2026, he proposed new concepts like economic disincentives for sports managers, implementation of limited terms for officials and the introduction of a new global institute called World Anti- Corruption Agency, taking after the World Anti-Doping Agency, to tackle possible deviance towards corruptions in India. Prof. Maennig accentuated the “Big Bang” approach to anti-corruption in sports, observing that it should be exactly zero percent and called for global accountability.
Anders Pettersson highlighted that Brazil’s Olympic movement is built on strong governance, transparency, and athlete-centred leadership, with the Brazilian Olympic Committee overseeing 38 National Sport Organisations through performance-linked and accountable funding to ensure ethical management and curb corruption. Athletes play a direct role in decision-making through an elected Athletes’ Commission, while gender equality and independent financial oversight remain key priorities. Sustainability has become a core strategic pillar, reflected in commitments to global initiatives like Sport for Climate Action and Sport for Nature, alongside concrete measures such as clean energy adoption, carbon reduction, waste management, and the Olympic Forest of Brazil supporting Amazon reforestation. Through its Transformation Programme, the COB also promotes Olympic values in education and supports athletes’ mental health, safe sport, and career transitions, positioning Brazil as a credible, sustainable, and socially responsible Olympic model.
Prof. Yannis Pitsiladis delivered a powerful message on the urgent need for a holistic anti-doping approach to secure a fair future for sport, emphasizing that doping is not just a testing issue but a deep-rooted systemic problem. Using global data and real-world examples, he highlighted how clean athletes are often the true victims while cheaters stay ahead, calling for a paradigm shift from “catch and punish” to “prevent and protect.” He stressed that true sporting excellence comes from long-term development, education, environment, and ethical values, not shortcuts through drugs and showcased tools like the Athlete Biological Passport, long-term sample storage, and AI-based testing as the future of clean sport. His address reinforced that safeguarding integrity, educating young athletes, and building ethical sporting ecosystems are essential to preserve trust, fairness, and the true spirit of sport.
Dr. Ankush Gupta, Senior Project Officer at the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), delivered an insightful session highlighting India’s comprehensive anti-doping framework aimed at creating a dope-free sporting environment and promoting fair play, in line with the UNESCO Convention and the World Anti-Doping Code 2021. He outlined NADA’s core functions from testing, intelligence gathering, and results management to education, research, and international cooperation. He highlighted the principles of strict liability and athlete responsibility. Drawing attention to the rising incidence of inadvertent doping caused by contaminated or mislabelled nutritional supplements, he stressed the need for informed decision-making and preventive education and digital tools such as the “Know Your Medicine” app. His address reinforced that safeguarding clean sport in India depends not only on enforcement and sanctions but on empowering athletes through awareness, ethical values, and a culture of integrity across every level of sport.
Ms. Alexandra Karaiskou, from the International Olympic Academy (IOA) President’s Office highlighted the urgent need to reactivate and revitalise the National Olympic Academy of India, which has remained inactive for over a decade. Describing the moment as an “awakening,” she emphasised the importance of restoring the NOA’s visibility and purpose through long-term institutional partnerships. Tracing the evolution of NOAs from their origins alongside the International Olympic Academy in the 1960s to their formal inclusion in the Olympic Charter in 1991, Ms. Alex underscored their role as foundational pillars of Olympism, translating Olympic values into education, social empowerment, athlete development, policy engagement, and scientific research. She outlined new IOA recognition standards aimed at ensuring professionalism and sustainability, while calling for NOAs to move beyond symbolic existence toward systemic impact through universal presence, capacity building, and integration with national education systems. Concluding the session, she reaffirmed that the future of Olympism depends on action, collaboration, and a renewed commitment to Olympic education worldwide.
