Wrestler Jaskaran faces extension of ban after breach of conditions during ineligibility period
Indian wrestler Jaskaran Singh is facing an extension of his three-year ban after competing at an international tournament in Iran despite being under a period of ineligibility, an act that has drawn the ire of the International Testing Agency (ITA).
The ITA, which manages anti-doping programmes on behalf of United World Wrestling (UWW), has issued Jaskaran a formal notice for an apparent violation of Article 10.14.1 of the UWW Anti-Doping Rules, which strictly prohibits athletes from participating in any competition during a period of ineligibility.
Jaskaran is currently serving a three-year ban from July 19, 2023 to July 18, 2026, imposed after he tested positive for the prohibited substance Ligandrol during the UWW Asian Championships (U20) in Jordan in July 2023.
The ban was backdated to the date of sample collection after the wrestler admitted the anti-doping rule violation in April last year.
According to the ITA, Jaskaran nevertheless participated in the Takhti Cup 2025 in Isfahan, Iran, between May 8 and 9, 2025, barely two weeks after the sanctioning decision was issued.
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He went on to win the gold medal in the men’s 65kg freestyle category at the tournament, which was sanctioned by the Iranian Amateur Wrestling Federation, a UWW member body.
The ITA said publicly available evidence, including official results and video footage of the final posted online, indicated that the wrestler competed in violation of the conditions of his ineligibility.
As per rules, ineligible athletes cannot participate in a training camp, exhibition or practice organised by their National Federation or a club which is a member of that National Federation or which is funded by a governmental agency.
Extension of ban looms large
Under UWW rules, any athlete found guilty of participating during a ban faces disqualification of results obtained during the infringement period and may be handed a fresh period of ineligibility equal to the original ban, to be added at the end of the existing sanction.
The final duration would depend on the assessment of fault and surrounding circumstances.
The ITA has sought Jaskaran’s written explanation and supporting documents by January 16 after which it will decide whether disciplinary action should follow.
Failure to respond could result in an automatic extension of the ban, while a contested case would be referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s Anti-Doping Division.
“If you fail to reply to this Notification within the set deadline, you will be deemed to have accepted the Consequences and a decision imposing a new period of Ineligibility to be added to the end of the original period of Ineligibility will be issued,” the ITA communication, a copy of which is with PTI, stated.
Published on Jan 13, 2026