India received another setback in the run-up to the Asian Games with a third wrestler, Deepak (Greco-Roman 67kg), testing positive for a banned substance.
As a result, India will lose his berth in the mega event.
According to sources, Deepak was tested during the Asian Games selection trials in Lucknow on May 31 and returned a positive result for Clomifene.
Earlier, Mukul Dahiya (freestyle 86kg) and Deepanshu (Greco-Roman 130kg) had tested positive for banned substances.
Consequently, India has lost three wrestling berths out of a total of 18.
Recently, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) had urged wrestlers to act responsibly on anti-doping matters. The WFI has been stressing that wrestlers staying out of the national camp without due permission is one of the causes behind the doping cases.
Published – September 09, 2026 09:31 pm IST