Thai badminton player Opatniputh handed doping suspension

Sept 21 - Thai badminton player Pitchamon Opatniputh was handed a provisional doping suspension from the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after returning a positive test for a banned substance, the International Testing Agency (ITA) said on Monday.

Opatniputh, ranked 18th in the world, was due to play in Thailand's team event against China on Tuesday, but the 19-year-old tested positive for furosemide, a substance that can be used to lose water for rapid weight loss.

The sample was collected by the ITA during an out-of-competition test on September 17.

"The athlete has been informed of the case and has been provisionally suspended with immediate effect until the resolution of the matter in line with the World Anti-Doping Code and the OCA Anti-Doping Rules," the ITA said.

"This means that the athlete is prevented from competing, training, coaching, or participating in any activity, during the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026."

Opatniputh can request analysis of the back-up B-sample and challenge the provisional suspension at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The 2026 Asian Games runs until October 4 in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya, Japan. REUTERS