Deputy Sports Minister Sugath Tillekaratne has revealed that Sri Lanka has become a hotspot for doping among athletes, with 67 top-level sportsmen and women from 11 different sports found to have used banned performance-enhancing substances between 2011 and 2025.
The affected sports include cricket, rugby, track and field, cycling, bodybuilding, weightlifting, boxing, wrestling, kabaddi, powerlifting, and netball. The highest number of doping violations were recorded in athletics (12), bodybuilding (12), cycling (12), and rugby (7), according to investigations conducted by the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA).
Tillekaratne noted that many athletes resorted to banned substances to excel in national competitions and secure international medals. He also highlighted a major loophole in Sri Lanka’s anti-doping framework: only track and field athletes are penalized for violations, while coaches and external parties who may have encouraged doping face no consequences.
He contrasted this with neighboring countries, where both athletes and their coaches are punished, leaving Sri Lanka vulnerable as a haven for drug cheats. Tillekaratne’s disclosure underscores the urgent need for stricter anti-doping regulations to safeguard the integrity of sports in Sri Lanka.
An Asian Games 400-metre gold medallist himself, Tillekaratne now faces the challenge of translating these revelations into concrete action, with sports followers questioning whether he will avoid becoming another “also ran” Sports Minister like some of his predecessors.
