1 hour agoSports
29LENS
5 SourcesIndia
thebalanced.newsAFI Finds Majority of India's Synthetic Tracks Substandard, Plans Certification Role
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has revealed that over 90% of synthetic athletic tracks in the country are substandard in material, construction, and measurements, with some using tyre rubber instead of polyurethane. Following directives from World Athletics, AFI will now participate in certifying tracks and regulating vendors to ensure quality. The federation aims to prevent deterioration of tracks and support athlete performance, while also planning to conduct one-time SRY gene tests for female athletes with financial assistance.
Political Bias
0%100%0%
Sentiment
52%
AI Analysis
Political bias across 5 sources
● Left 0%● Center 100%● Right 0%
The article group primarily reflects official perspectives from the Athletics Federation of India and World Athletics, focusing on technical and regulatory issues without political framing. There is no evident partisan viewpoint; coverage centers on institutional responsibility and quality standards. The sources emphasize AFI’s commitment to improving track conditions and compliance with international directives, presenting a largely administrative and sports governance angle.
Sentiment — Neutral (52/100)
The overall tone across the articles is neutral to cautiously critical, highlighting concerns about substandard track quality while emphasizing AFI’s proactive steps to address the issue. The coverage balances criticism of current conditions with constructive information about planned certification and vendor regulation. There is no overtly negative or positive sentiment, but a focus on problem identification and forthcoming solutions.
How 5 sources covered this story
Each source's own headline, political lean, and sentiment — so you can see framing differences at a glance.
| Source | Their headline | Bias | Sentiment |
|---|---|---|---|
| firstpost | AFI plans new certification process after audit finds 90 of synthetic tracks in India as 'substandard' | Center | Neutral |
| news18 | AFI panel to ensure good quality synthetic tracks are laid in county | Center | Positive |
| news18 | 90 of synthetic tracks in India is substandard, AFI to get into certification | Center | Neutral |
| theprint | 90 of synthetic tracks in India is substandard, AFI to get into certification | Center | Neutral |
| news18 | 90 plus tracks in India are substandard: AFI spokesperson Adille Sumariwalla | Center | Neutral |
Coverage timeline
news18 broke this story on 18 Apr, 12:42 pm. Other outlets followed.
- 1news1818 Apr, 12:42 pm90 plus tracks in India are substandard: AFI spokesperson Adille Sumariwalla
- 2theprint18 Apr, 01:22 pm90 of synthetic tracks in India is substandard, AFI to get into certification
- 3news1818 Apr, 01:29 pm90 of synthetic tracks in India is substandard, AFI to get into certification
- 4news1818 Apr, 01:48 pmAFI panel to ensure good quality synthetic tracks are laid in county
- 5firstpost18 Apr, 02:15 pmAFI plans new certification process after audit finds 90 of synthetic tracks in India as 'substandard'
Lens Score breakdown
29/100
Public interest0/100
Coverage gap100%
Well-covered story — coverage matches public importance.
Who's involved
Institutions and figures named across source coverage.
Enforcement
Economic Offence Wing
Story context
- Category
- Sports
- Location
- India
- Sources analysed
- 5
- Last analysed
- 18 Apr 2026
- Key entities
- IndiaNew DelhiWorld AthleticsTokyoAmerican Film InstitutePolyurethaneAthletics Federation of IndiaNatural rubberTireWorld Athletics ChampionshipsVice President of the United StatesKohima
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