Pakistani Wrestler Ali Asad, who won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games, has been handed a four-year ban for using banned performance-enhancing substances.
The International Testing Agency (ITA) imposed the suspension after Asad tested positive during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. This ban prevents him from participating in any wrestling activities.
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Asad’s urine sample was collected on August 6, 2022, and he was provisionally suspended after a positive test result on September 25, 2022. Although the ITA allowed him to appeal and request a B sample test, he did not respond, resulting in the direct imposition of the four-year ban. Asad has denied using performance-enhancing drugs.
In related news, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) also issued four-year bans to four Pakistani weightlifters—Abdur Rehman, Sharjeel Butt, Ghulam Mustafa, and Farhan Amjad—in 2022 for refusing to provide samples. Their ban runs from March 10, 2022, to March 9, 2026.
Additionally, Olympian Talha Talib received a three-year ban for using a banned substance, while Abu Bakar Ghani served a two-year ban, which has now ended. Ongoing cases involve coach Mohammad Waqas Akbar and PWF senior official Amjad Amin Butt, who face charges related to tampering and complicity.
