Pakistani wrestler Ali Asad has been stripped of his bronze medal from the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. The Pakistan Wrestling Federation confirmed that Asad has been banned for four years and his medal revoked. The International Testing Agency (ITA) conducted the tests and confirmed the presence of prohibited substances in his samples.
Asad’s case follows an investigation by the ITA and his subsequent four-year ban was announced this week. The federation revealed that Asad waived his right to a hearing and failed to respond to the allegations within the designated timeframe.
This incident adds to a growing list of doping violations involving Pakistani athletes. In May 2023, four Pakistani weightlifters were handed four-year bans by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) for anti-doping rule violations. Abdur Rehman, Sharjeel Butt, Ghulam Mustafa, and Farhan Amjad were suspended after refusing to provide samples to the ITA in November 2021. Despite appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the suspension was upheld.
Prominent weightlifters Olympian Talha Talib and Abu Bakar Ghani were also suspended for two years in the same period for using banned substances. Talha, who finished fifth in the Tokyo Olympics, will remain banned until February 2025.
The repeated instances of doping violations raise serious concerns about the effectiveness of anti-doping measures in Pakistan and the integrity of the country’s sports programs. It also underscores the need for comprehensive education and awareness initiatives to prevent future violations and protect the reputation of Pakistani athletes on the global stage.
