Indian Olympic Association Ratifies Raghuram Iyer’s Appointment as CEO, Sets Up Athletes Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel.
Sports
On July 24, 2025, the Executive Council (EC) of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) officially ratified Raghuram Iyer’s appointment as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and simultaneously established the Athletes Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (AADDP). These decisions aim to improve governance transparency and combat doping amid growing scrutiny from global sports authorities.
- Raghuram Iyer’s appointment comes after growing criticism from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over IOA’s governance and compliance with international anti-doping norms. The decision strengthens the IOA’s internal structure and aims to address global concerns regarding India’s sporting administration.
- Raghuram Iyer brings a diverse leadership background, having served in executive roles at Sony Pictures Entertainment and Discovery Channel. In 2007, he joined Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals as CEO and later worked with multiple sports franchises, including Rising Pune Supergiants (RPSG), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), ATK Mohun Bagan, and UTT's RPSG Mavericks.
- Iyer was unanimously selected in 2024 by a high-profile nomination committee comprising P.T. Usha (President, IOA), Mary Kom (Athletes’ Commission Chair), and Nita Ambani (IOC member from India). His appointment is seen as a step toward modernizing IOA’s administrative leadership.
Main Point :- (i) The newly formed Athletes Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (AADDP) will address rising concerns over doping violations. The panel will be led by former tennis player Rohit Rajpal and includes notable members such as Dr. PSM Chandran (sports medicine), Aparna Popat (badminton), Dr. Anindya Chowdhury (legal expert), Maj. Gen. Dilawar Singh (sports governance), and Dr. Sudhir K. Jain (health sciences).
(ii) AADDP’s core role is to ensure transparent and fair adjudication of doping-related cases and raise awareness among athletes, coaches, and stakeholders. The panel aligns with global anti-doping guidelines laid out by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and India’s National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
(iii) India’s anti-doping efforts remain under close watch, especially after recording a 3.8% doping positivity rate in 2023. The establishment of AADDP reflects IOA’s commitment to maintaining clean sport and improving India’s global sporting reputation.
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