Teenage Thai badminton player tests positive for doping at Asian Games

Teenage badminton player Pitchamon Opatniputh is suspended from the Asian Games after testing positive for a banned diuretic, the International Testing Agency said Monday.

The 19-year-old Thai athlete tested positive for furosemide in a sample given when training in Nagoya last Thursday, two days before the formal opening ceremony of the 16-day multisports event.

“This means that the athlete is prevented from competing, training, coaching, or participating in any activity, during the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026,” the Switzerland based testing agency said in a statement.

Furosemide can accelerate weight loss through expelling water from an athlete’s body and also mask the presence of other banned drugs.

The agency noted that Pitchamon can challenge the provisional suspension at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Pitchamon is ranked No. 18 in women’s singles by the Badminton World Federation, and third among Thai women.//AP

Main photo: Thailand's Pitchamon Opatniputh plays against China's Chen Yu Fei during their women's single final match at the Indonesia Masters badminton tournament in Jakarta, Indonesia, on January 25.//AP