India’s preparations for Asian Games 2026 were significantly affected by a series of confirmed anti-doping cases in the weeks before competition began in Aichi-Nagoya. Here’s a factual roundup based on official National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) actions and squad announcements.
## The Scale of the Issue
According to reporting from Business Standard and other outlets, 12 Indian athletes were dropped, suspended or sidelined over anti-doping violations since the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, spread across wrestling, athletics, shooting and wushu.
## Wrestling
Wrestlers Mukul Dahiya, Deepanshu Ahlawat and Deepak were removed from India’s squad after failing doping tests, reducing the contingent from 18 to 15 competitors. Our dedicated wrestling doping update covers the full details of these cases.
## Athletics
Distance runner Abhishek Pal was served a NADA notice after clomifene was detected in his sample, and was subsequently dropped from the final squad despite having won 5,000m gold at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships. Our dedicated update on his case covers what’s known so far.
## Wushu
Medal hopeful Surya Bhanupratap Singh, a 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist, was provisionally suspended after testing positive for Enobosarm (Ostarine). Our dedicated update on his case covers the full details.
## Shooting
Pistol shooter Gaurav Kumar Masoori tested positive for propranolol and was removed from the squad, later replaced by Akash Bharadwaj.
## Why This Matters
A wave of cases this size just weeks before a major Games raises genuine questions about anti-doping education and testing timelines within Indian sport, even as NADA’s actions demonstrate the system identifying and acting on violations before competition began.
## The Bottom Line
For a complete list of every athlete affected, our dedicated roundup names each case individually. Together, these cases represent one of the more serious off-field storylines shaping India’s build-up to Aichi-Nagoya 2026.