Amateur Athletic Federation India (AAFI) is the national organization of Athletics in India who takes the responsibility of conducting various athletic competitions that involves running, throwing, jumping and walking. It is now called as Athletics Federation of India and is associated with Asian Athletics Association and International Association of Athletics Federations.
AAFI was formed in the year 1946 by Maharaja Yadvindra Singh and Prof. G.D. Sondhi, who was the first president of AAFI and served for 5 years. The competitions held under AAFI are divided into 3 categories I, II and III. AAFI is the sole conductor of competitions under category I, Grants permission to other parties, affiliated clubs, units or organizations to hold competitions under category II and occasional competitions that are conducted by AAFI comes under category III.
The organization is proved to be corrupted and there is an urgent need of clean up to make way through for qualified and eligible athletes who are unable to play for various championships. AAFI was charged with doping scandals after tested positive for anabolic steroids in 2010 commonwealth games. The federation had faced several allegations for their flawed selection practices. PU Chitra, Sudha Singh, and Ajay Kumar Saroj who were the eligible athletes were denied entry in 2017 World Championships in Athletics.
