The Athletics Federation of India’s latest decision could mark a significant shift in how eligibility is administered across Indian athletics. From 2027, athletes participating in AFI-approved competitions across all age groups will be required to undergo an SRY gene test, subject to the completion of applicable legal formalities.
The decision was taken at an emergent Executive Council meeting on September 19 and announced by the federation on Monday. AFI said the measure would apply across its approved competitions and age categories, expanding a testing process that has already begun at selected national-level events in 2026.
“The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has decided to make the SRY Gene Test mandatory for participation in all AFI-approved competitions across all age categories, effective from 2027,” the AFI said in a statement. “The decision was taken at the emergent executive council meeting held on 19th September and will come into effect subject to the completion of all applicable legal formalities.”
The announcement comes against the backdrop of a major change introduced by World Athletics in its eligibility regulations for the female category. In July 2025, World Athletics approved regulations requiring athletes competing in the female category at World Championships to undergo a once-in-a-lifetime SRY gene test. The regulations came into force on September 1, 2025, and were implemented at the World Championships in Tokyo. The test examines the presence of the SRY gene, which is generally associated with the Y chromosome and has a role in sex development.
World Athletics permits the test to be conducted using either a cheek swab or a blood sample. Under its current regulations, a negative SRY result permits an athlete to compete in the female category, while a positive result triggers further medical assessment under the governing body’s eligibility framework. World Athletics has stressed that its regulations concern eligibility for competition and that the organisation does not judge or question an individual’s gender identity. It has also stated that the testing process is subject to confidentiality and data protection requirements.
India has already been preparing for the implementation of the international framework. In April 2026, AFI issued a circular stating that it would implement SRY testing for athletes intending to compete in the female category at national-level and World Ranking competitions. The federation subsequently conducted testing at national competitions, including the Senior National Athletics Federation Competition in Ranchi.
At the Ranchi competition in May, AFI officials said more than 100 women athletes were expected to undergo testing. The federation also indicated that it would bear the cost of the test, with the process being conducted through laboratories identified by its medical commission. The AFI’s 2026 AGM had already approved the introduction of the SRY test for female athletes competing in World Ranking competitions and AFI-organised competitions. The federation also approved a designated testing vendor and modalities for conducting the tests.
The latest announcement, however, goes beyond selected senior or international-facing competitions. If implemented as announced, the 2027 policy will bring athletes across all age categories under the AFI’s testing framework. That raises practical questions around consent procedures, safeguarding, privacy, testing protocols and the manner in which the policy will be applied to younger athletes. World Athletics itself has acknowledged the need for specific protocols where minors are concerned.
In its 2025 implementation update, the governing body said it was exploring onsite testing at the World U20 Championships and would develop detailed permission protocols for minors. At the international level, World Athletics reported that 1,015 female athletes, including reserves, underwent SRY testing at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. From 2026, testing has been expanded to selected World Athletics Series events, Diamond League meetings and Marathon Major Platinum events, with the categories being reviewed annually.
The significance of AFI’s announcement lies less in the test itself and more in the scale of its proposed implementation. What began as an international eligibility measure for female-category competition is now being extended into India’s domestic athletics structure and across age groups. The federation’s immediate challenge will be ensuring that implementation is legally sound, medically governed and consistent with privacy and safeguarding standards, particularly for younger athletes.
AFI has already begun the groundwork in 2026, but making the test a condition for participation across every approved competition from 2027 would represent a much broader administrative shift. For Indian athletics, the next phase will therefore be about more than compliance with an international rule. It will be about how the federation translates that rule into a transparent, consistent and carefully managed domestic system.
