Wrestler Deepak out of Asian Games 2026 squad after failing dope test
(Courtesy : Getty Images)
India has now lost their third wrestler for the Asian Games
Indian wrestling has been hit with a third doping case ahead of the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi Nagoya, with Greco-Roman grappler Deepak, competing in the 67kg category, now facing an anti-doping case just weeks before the Games begin.
The 25-year-old Delhi-based wrestler, who works with the Indian postal service, was a surprise name on the Asian Games roster after winning the selection trials held in Lucknow on May 31.
He earned his spot at the trials following a medal-winning performance at the Federation Cup, and his win in Lucknow made him the first postal service wrestler to make the Indian squad for the Games.
According to the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), Deepak’s urine sample from the trials returned an atypical finding for clomifene, a substance banned under the S4 category, Hormone and Metabolic Modulators, on the 2026 WADA Prohibited List.
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Clomifene is typically used to treat infertility in men and women. NADA flagged the sample as an atypical finding on July 23 and, after interviewing Deepak on August 17, moved the case forward as an Adverse Analytical Finding.
Is Deepak officially suspended, and what happens next?
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This is where things get murky — reports on the case haven’t been entirely consistent.
NADA’s own notification does not confirm a provisional suspension. It explicitly states that Deepak is not currently suspended and may keep competing unless a suspension is formally imposed later.
What NADA has made clear, however, is that if the violation is confirmed, all results from May 31 onward, up until any suspension takes effect, would be liable to disqualification, unless fairness dictates otherwise.
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If his B-sample also comes back positive for clomifene, or if he chooses to waive that testing altogether, the violation would be considered confirmed under the applicable rules.
Regardless of where NADA’s formal process currently stands, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has already decided to pull him from the squad rather than wait for that process to conclude.
A WFI official explained that the federation could not afford to risk it, since a positive test during the Games would trigger a ₹20 lakh penalty from the world governing body United World Wrestling (UWW).
“Deepak had indeed surprised coaches by winning the trials,” the official said, adding that he was never part of the national camp, which meant he had not been tested as frequently as camp-based wrestlers. The official confirmed simply that “we are withdrawing him from the squad.”
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Deepak becomes the third Indian wrestler to be pulled from Asian Games contention over doping-related concerns in recent months, following Mukul Dahiya in the freestyle 86kg category and Deepanshu in Greco-Roman 130kg.
Why did the WFI withdraw him instead of waiting for NADA’s final ruling?
The WFI pulled him to avoid risk, since a positive test during the Games would trigger a Rs 20 lakh penalty on the federation from the world governing body, UWW.
What substance did Deepak test positive for?
His 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.
Has Deepak been officially suspended by NADA?
Not yet. NADA’s notification says he is not currently under a provisional suspension and can keep competing unless one is formally imposed later, even though he was withdrawn from the Asian Games squad regardless.
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