Asian Games 2026: Greco Roman wrestler Deepak dropped from team for doping

The Indian wrestling fraternity has been hit with another shocking news just days ahead of the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games with the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) provisionally suspending Greco Roman grappler Deepak (67kg) on Wednesday after testing positive.

Deepak is the third wrestler to have tested positive after Deepanshu (Greco Roman 130kg) and Mukul Dahiya (Freestyle 86kg) were suspended for the same.

Deepak was tested during the Asian Games selection trials held in Lucknow on May 31.

"We appreciate the efforts made by NADA but if they acted swiftly we could have easily found replacements and India would not go unrepresented in at least two weight categories," a source told The Bridge, pointing to Deepanshu’s positive test.

"Deepak was one of the weakest wrestlers to be selected. When he won the trials everyone was surprised with his performance," another source said.

With just a few days to go for the continental games, India will go unrepresented in three wrestling weight categories in Aichi Nagoya.

The Wrestling Federation of India had named 16 wrestlers for the Asian Games across men's freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women's weight categories, which will now be cut down.

Indian wrestlers had won a total of six medals including 1 silver and five bronze medals in the previous edition of the Asian Games in Hangzhou.