Child doping is once again confronting international sport with an issue that cannot be addressed solely through testing and sanctions against athletes. “The secret of doping: Children”, an investigation by German public broadcaster ARD, examines how minors in different countries are exposed to prohibited substances and practices under the influence of adults around them. Its first reports were published this Thursday, ahead of the release of the full series. The investigation shifts attention towards those who administer, facilitate or tolerate these practices and the institutions responsible for protecting young people.
The German broadcaster spent six years investigating cases in more than 50 countries. The series brings together testimonies, undercover recordings and situations linking expectations of success with potential abuse. ARD cites an estimate of at least ten million minors affected worldwide (this is not a count of positive tests or violations). The precise scale of the problem remains one of the challenges facing an investigation that questions how much is actually known about doping at an early age.
The adults making decisions for athletes
One of the episodes published by ARD takes place in the Dominican Republic, where a coach explained to undercover journalists how to present substances to children aged eight to ten as vitamins. In another operation, conducted in Miami, a doctor offered growth hormone treatment for a supposed twelve-year-old tennis player, despite the journalists having stated that there was no medical need. These findings are attributed to the journalistic investigation; any subsequent disciplinary or legal proceedings must be considered separately.
These situations raise a safeguarding issue that comes before any sporting result. A minor depends on people who organise their training, oversee their health and influence their opportunities to progress. When those adults present a substance as necessary to compete, it is essential to investigate the people around the athlete and identify what the athlete has taken. Questions must be answered about who supplied it, what information the child received and what supervision was in place.
Testing does not reveal the whole problem
The investigation also examines sports facilities in India, where journalists documented syringes and substance containers beside areas used by young athletes. ARD reports the response of a former official at India’s anti-doping agency, who initially attributed the discarded materials to glucose and vitamins before acknowledging a problem when confronted with specific containers.
The “Operation Refuge” report, published by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 2024, had already documented the pressure, isolation and difficulties that minors involved in anti-doping proceedings can experience. Their testimonies include a lack of awareness of prohibited practices and insufficient support when facing an allegation. This evidence highlights two simultaneous needs: improving detection and ensuring that proceedings do not leave young people without assistance. Protecting their identity and rights must be compatible with investigating adults, without allowing a minor’s confidentiality to become a barrier to holding those around them accountable.
Protection must continue after a positive test
ARD has also investigated eight deaths in Germany, China, Italy and the Dominican Republic in which a link to doping during youth is suspected…
For clubs, federations and anti-doping agencies, the published cases raise specific questions about their safeguarding mechanisms. What happens when a child distrusts a treatment, who they can turn to outside their team and who supports them if they report their coach or a family member. The safeguarding system must also be strong when a minor asks for help, especially when doing so could jeopardise their career, future and even personal relationships.
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