Coe is interested in the report of Indian athletes who ran on sighting doping officials.

World Athletics, the international governing body, is “awaiting with interest” the report of the Athletics Federation of India’s (AFI) probe committee into the incident at the Delhi State Athletics Championship last month, where most athletes fled the track after the arrival of dope-testing officials.

Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, said he has spoken to AFI officials as well as the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), a group formed to fight doping, after the incident was brought to his attention.

“I am waiting for a report on that, as is the AIU. I was travelling at the end of the season so I am waiting for a report from the Indian federation,” Coe, who is in Mumbai for the International Olympic Committee Session, told The Indian Express.

Asked if there’s any timeline for the report to be submitted, Coe replied: “I don’t know (by when). I spoke to the Indian federation immediately afterwards and they said they were in Hangzhou at the time (for the Asian Games)… I will await the report.”

As reported by The Indian Express, the sudden appearance of anti-doping officials on the final day of the Delhi State Athletics Championship, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the capital on September 26, resulted in the mass withdrawal of athletes – only one sprinter turned up for the men’s 100 metres final; the Under-20 boys’ 100-metres final saw just three finalists, and the Under-16 boys’ hammer throw too had just one participant.

The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) officials had dropped in a day after a purported video clip of the washroom at the stadium showed piles of used syringes.

Coe, a 1,500 metres double Olympic gold medallist, said that “cheating is non-negotiable” and is being taken “extremely seriously”. “People now recognise that we take it extremely seriously, our testing systems are sounder and more extensive than they’ve ever been. We have spent more than $8 million a year on the AIU, so people know we are very serious about maintaining the highest reputation. Cheating is non-negotiable,” Coe said, adding, “We will await the report with interest”.