Sensation at the Asian Games: Uzbekistan national team athlete suspended due to doping

3 October 2026, 09:22·50·Sport

An unfortunate incident occurred at the 2026 Asian Games currently taking place in the Japanese cities of Aichi and Nagoya. Umar Usmanov, a member of the Uzbekistan national rugby-7 team, has been temporarily suspended from competitions on suspicion of violating anti-doping rules.

This was officially announced by the International Testing Agency (ITA), an authoritative organization ensuring fairness in sports.

What substance was found in the blood?

According to reports, a prohibited substance — a drostanolone metabolite — was detected in a test sample taken from the athlete during out-of-competition control in Nagoya on September 27.

What is drostanolone? This substance belongs to the category of anabolic androgenic steroids and, according to the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), is included in the list of agents strictly prohibited both during and outside of competitions.

Temporary disqualification and athlete's rights

After the results were released, Usmanov was officially notified and suspended from sports activities until a final ruling is issued on the case:

The athlete is prohibited from taking the field at the Asian Games, training with the national team, and participating in any sporting events.
At the sameening, in accordance with the regulations, the athlete has the right to request the analysis of the "B sample" and to appeal the temporary suspension decision to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Participation of the Uzbekistan rugby-7 team in the Asian Games

Umar Usmanov was included in the Uzbekistan delegation for the men's rugby-7 competitions. However, the tournament turned out unsuccessfully for our compatriots:

Group "A" matches: The team lost to Hong Kong (0:45), China (0:50), and Malaysia (0:22), taking last place in the group.
Consolation round: On October 2, in the match for 9th–12th places, the Uzbek rugby players lost to the Kazakhstan national team with a score of 7:35.

Thus, our rugby-7 national team suffered defeats in all four matches played in the tournament and concluded its participation in the Asian Games.