A string of doping violations is disrupting India’s Asian Games preparations, shrinking squads and raising difficult questions about anti-doping awareness in elite sport.
India’s preparations for the Asian Games have been hit by a series of doping violations, creating uncertainty across several sports contingents and raising fresh questions about anti-doping compliance in the country’s elite training system.
The latest setback involves Greco-Roman wrestler Deepak, who has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) after testing positive for a prohibited substance.
Competing in the 67kg category, Deepak’s sample was collected during the national selection trials in Lucknow on May 31. The sample was found to contain a substance listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) prohibited list. He has subsequently been withdrawn from India’s Asian Games squad.
Deepak’s case is the third doping violation involving an Indian wrestler in the immediate build-up to the continental competition.
Earlier, Greco-Roman wrestler Deepanshu, who competes in the 130kg category, and freestyle wrestler Mukul Dahiya, in the 86kg category, were also provisionally suspended following anti-doping violations.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) submitted replacement names for the affected wrestlers. However, the proposed replacements were not cleared by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) during the final squad approval process.
As a result, India’s wrestling contingent has been reduced from the planned 16 entries to 15. The withdrawals also leave India without representation in three weight categories.
A Problem Beyond Wrestling
The doping-related disruptions are not limited to wrestling. Several other disciplines have also been affected in the run-up to the Asian Games.
In athletics, distance runner Abhishek Pal was removed from the travelling squad after receiving an anti-doping notice from NADA.
Shooting has faced a similar disruption. A 10m air pistol shooter who secured selection through the official national trials was replaced following an Adverse Analytical Finding.
Swimming has also been affected. A 17-year-old swimmer who had qualified for two events received an 18-month suspension after testing positive for terbutaline, a prohibited beta-2 agonist.
Taken together, these cases have created an uncomfortable picture for Indian sport at a time when preparations are expected to be entering their final and most carefully managed phase.
Replacements Come With Their Own Challenges
For sports administrators, doping-related withdrawals create more than a disciplinary problem.
Once an athlete is removed from a squad, replacing them can involve a chain of approvals from national federations, selection committees, SAI and the relevant international sporting bodies. With competition schedules approaching and squad-clearance deadlines becoming tighter, there may be little scope to fill vacant places.
That can have a direct impact on India’s medal prospects, particularly in events where an eligible replacement cannot be cleared in time.
The immediate concern, therefore, is not simply the number of athletes lost to doping cases. It is also the possibility that India could arrive at the Asian Games with vacant slots that might otherwise have been occupied by medal contenders.
The Larger Anti-Doping Question
India’s growing presence in international sport has brought greater scrutiny of its athletes, but it also places a greater responsibility on national federations, coaches and support staff to ensure that athletes understand anti-doping rules.
Positive tests can result from deliberate use of prohibited substances, but anti-doping compliance also involves awareness of medications, supplements and other substances that athletes may consume without fully understanding their status under WADA rules.
The latest cases underline the need for continuous education rather than relying solely on testing before major competitions.
For India, the immediate task is to manage the disruption ahead of the Asian Games. The larger challenge is to strengthen the systems around athletes so that preventable anti-doping violations do not continue to undermine years of training and preparation.
The medal race may be decided on the field, but for some Indian athletes, the Asian Games campaign is already being shaped by what happened before they reached it.
India’s preparations for the Asian Games have been hit by a series of doping violations, creating uncertainty across several sports contingents and raising fresh questions about anti-doping compliance in the country’s elite training system.
The latest setback involves Greco-Roman wrestler Deepak, who has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) after testing positive for a prohibited substance.
Competing in the 67kg category, Deepak’s sample was collected during the national selection trials in Lucknow on May 31. The sample was found to contain a substance listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) prohibited list. He has subsequently been withdrawn from India’s Asian Games squad.
Deepak’s case is the third doping violation involving an Indian wrestler in the immediate build-up to the continental competition.
Earlier, Greco-Roman wrestler Deepanshu, who competes in the 130kg category, and freestyle wrestler Mukul Dahiya, in the 86kg category, were also provisionally suspended following anti-doping violations.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) submitted replacement names for the affected wrestlers. However, the proposed replacements were not cleared by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) during the final squad approval process.
As a result, India’s wrestling contingent has been reduced from the planned 16 entries to 15. The withdrawals also leave India without representation in three weight categories.
A Problem Beyond Wrestling
The doping-related disruptions are not limited to wrestling. Several other disciplines have also been affected in the run-up to the Asian Games.
In athletics, distance runner Abhishek Pal was removed from the travelling squad after receiving an anti-doping notice from NADA.
Shooting has faced a similar disruption. A 10m air pistol shooter who secured selection through the official national trials was replaced following an Adverse Analytical Finding.
Swimming has also been affected. A 17-year-old swimmer who had qualified for two events received an 18-month suspension after testing positive for terbutaline, a prohibited beta-2 agonist.
Taken together, these cases have created an uncomfortable picture for Indian sport at a time when preparations are expected to be entering their final and most carefully managed phase.
Replacements Come With Their Own Challenges
For sports administrators, doping-related withdrawals create more than a disciplinary problem.
Once an athlete is removed from a squad, replacing them can involve a chain of approvals from national federations, selection committees, SAI and the relevant international sporting bodies. With competition schedules approaching and squad-clearance deadlines becoming tighter, there may be little scope to fill vacant places.
That can have a direct impact on India’s medal prospects, particularly in events where an eligible replacement cannot be cleared in time.
The immediate concern, therefore, is not simply the number of athletes lost to doping cases. It is also the possibility that India could arrive at the Asian Games with vacant slots that might otherwise have been occupied by medal contenders.
The Larger Anti-Doping Question
India’s growing presence in international sport has brought greater scrutiny of its athletes, but it also places a greater responsibility on national federations, coaches and support staff to ensure that athletes understand anti-doping rules.
Positive tests can result from deliberate use of prohibited substances, but anti-doping compliance also involves awareness of medications, supplements and other substances that athletes may consume without fully understanding their status under WADA rules.
The latest cases underline the need for continuous education rather than relying solely on testing before major competitions.
For India, the immediate task is to manage the disruption ahead of the Asian Games. The larger challenge is to strengthen the systems around athletes so that preventable anti-doping violations do not continue to undermine years of training and preparation.
The medal race may be decided on the field, but for some Indian athletes, the Asian Games campaign is already being shaped by what happened before they reached it.
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