MARDAN: Pakistan’s bronze medal in kabaddi in the recently concluded Asian Games in Hangzhou is in serious danger as the country’s solid player Adil Hussain has tested positive for prohibited substances.
“The International Testing Agency (ITA), mandated by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to independently handle areas of the anti-doping programme at the Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, including results management, reports that a sample collected from kabbadi athlete Adil Hussain from Pakistan has returned an Adverse Analytical Finding¹ for 19-norandrosterone, a non-specified Prohibited Substance, according to the Prohibited List of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA),” International Testing Agency (ITA) said.
“The sample was collected by the ITA at the Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 during an in-competition anti-doping control performed on 4 October 2023. The Sample Collection Authority was the China Anti-Doping Agency,” it said.
“The athlete has been informed of the case. He has the right to request the analysis of the B-samples,” the ITA added.
“The matter will thereafter be referred to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS ADD) for adjudication under the OCA Anti-Doping Rules,” it added.
“Given that the case is underway, there will be no further comments during the ongoing proceeding,” the ITA said. Last year, as many as seven kabaddi players had tested positive for prohibited substances.
The big question is whether this outcome will affect Pakistan’s bronze medal win in the Asian Games. A source in the Asian Kabaddi Federation (AKF) told The News that they will discuss this matter in a virtual meeting of the continental body before making any comment.
When asked if it might deprive Pakistan of their bronze medal, the source said that after the meeting the situation will become clear. Sources in the Pakistan Kabaddi Federation said that Adil has been suspended.
Sources said that Adil will face stiff action as per rules. “We had also banned a few players last year after they tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. There is zero tolerance on this matter and every effort will be made to eradicate this menace,” the source said.
An expert told The News that Pakistan may be stripped of the bronze medal. “Look if a single player is tested positive still it may strip a team of a medal and I think Pakistan will be stripped of the medal,” said the expert on condition of anonimity.
Sources told The News that Adil played as a defender on the left flank in the Asian Games and he was not so much impressive. He represents Army.
Pakistan claimed one silver and two bronze in the Asian Games. The silver came in the men’s squash team event while bronze came in kabaddi and shooting where Kishmala Talat took it in the 10metre air pistol event, becoming the first shooter of the country in its shooting history to have won a bronze.
In recent years Pakistan’s sports have been rocked by such scandals as several athletes, weightlifters, wrestlers and bodybuilders tested positive. On several occasions Pakistan was also stripped of medals as happened in the case of athletics when Olympian Mehboob Ali, his nephew Mohammad Naeem and sprinter Samiullah were found guilty of using prohibited substances during the South Asian Games in Nepal in 2019.
All these had claimed medals in the biennial event and they had been stripped of their medals and were handed four-year bans which will expire in December this year. Six weightlifters were found involved in doping but the biggest loss was of Olympian Talha Talib who has been serving a suspension.
Alam Zeb Safi Alam Zeb Safi is a senior reporter for The News