Asian Games 2026: Full list of Japan-bound Indian athletes suspended for doping
Wrestling loses three quota spots following doping cases
The Indian contingent for the 2026 Asian Games has been affected by several doping cases. Wrestling, shooting, swimming, athletics and wushu are among the sports whose athletes bound for the Asian Games have faced adverse findings or provisional suspensions ahead of the Games.
The Asian Games, which open in Aichi-Nagoya on September 19, are providing an unwanted headline as the doping list grows. An 18-month ban has been handed down to a 17-year-old swimmer who was due to compete at the Asian Games. The swimmer’s sample tested positive for terbutaline, a beta-2 agonist banned under anti-doping rules, The Tribune reported.
Wrestling takes triple hit
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Wrestling has taken the worst hit. The biggest jolt came in the Greco-Roman category, where Deepak, who was expected to represent India in the 67kg category, tested positive and was banned by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). He tested positive for clomiphene, a banned substance used to treat female infertility.
The sample was collected on May 31, and the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) got the notice today (September 9). But the same thing happened to Mukul. “In that case, the federation didn’t even get the notice and came to know about it from the sources,” a source told The New Indian Express.
Another wrestler, Mukul Dahiya, who claimed a silver medal at the Asian Championships, also tested positive for the stimulant mephentermine and was suspended. Dahiya was to take the mat for India in the 86kg freestyle category and was a medal hope, as it is the same category in which Deepak Punia won a silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Another Greco-Roman wrestler, Deepanshu, who was to represent the country in the 130kg category, was banned after testing positive for anabolic steroid stanozolol in an out-of-competition test.
Related: Wrestler Deepak out of Asian Games 2026 squad after failing dope test
These cases have sent shockwaves through India’s wrestling contingent for the Asian Games. The country lost its quota spots in men’s 86kg freestyle, 130kg Greco-Roman and 67kg Greco-Roman.
After this year’s wrestling trials, the WFI announced an 18-member wrestling team, with six wrestlers being selected each for women’s freestyle, men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. But only 15 wrestlers will compete in the upcoming competition.
Wushu, shooting and athletics also take the burn
NADA has suspended medal hope Surya Bhanupratap Singh for testing positive for a banned substance in another blow for India in the game of wushu.
In another setback to the Indian shooting contingent, Asian Games-bound shooter Gaurav Kumar Masoori tested positive for propranolol and its metabolite, 4-hydroxy-propranolol. He was eventually dropped from the team.
Athletics has also been hit by doping, with Abhishek Pal the latest to be served a NADA notice after testing positive for clomiphene. Earlier this year, he won gold in the 5,000m at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships and was named in the Indian Asian Games athletics team but was dropped from the final squad.
Twelve Indian athletes have been dropped, sidelined or provisionally suspended from next month’s event in Japan for anti-doping violations.
Related: Asian Games 2026 – India’s full wushu contingent
Top Athletes Suspended and Benched
Wrestling
Mukul Dahiya (men’s freestyle 86kg): Provisional suspension by NADA after testing positive for stimulant mephentermine.
Greco-Roman 130kg Deepanshu: Violated anti-doping rules, stripped of his place on the team.
Deepak (Greco-Roman 67kg/60kg): He withdrew after testing positive for clomiphene.
Swimming
17-year-old swimmer, name withheld: Banned for 18 months after testing positive for terbutaline and disqualified from the qualifying events just before the Asian Games.
Wushu
Surya Bhanupratap Singh (2018 medalist): Suspended after failing a test for enobosarm.
Judo
Arun Kumar: Tested positive for an anabolic steroid and was dropped from the side.
Tulika Maan: Suspended for not furnishing details of her whereabouts as required.
Track & Field
Abhishek Pal (long-distance runner, 5000m/10,000m): Dropped from the team after being served notice for an anti-doping violation.
Weightlifting
N. Ajith, Sairaj Pardeshi, Harcharan Singh and Vanshita Verma: Dropped from the side for anti-doping violations.
Shooting and Rowing :
Gaurav Kumar Masoori (shooting), Lakshya (rowing): Dropped from the squad following provisional anti-doping violations.
What banned substance did Deepak test positive for?
Deepak’s sample returned an atypical finding for clomifene, a substance under the S4 category (Hormone and Metabolic Modulators) on the 2026 WADA Prohibited List, typically used to treat infertility.
Have any replacements been announced for the athletes missing out?
No replacements have been announced for the athletes missing out.
When does the Asian Games 2026 start?
Asian Games 2026 start on September 19 and will conclude on October 4.
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