Pakistani esports competitor Arslan Ash Siddique, known for his performance in fighting games, has been suspended from competition for two years by the International Esports Federation (IESF). In addition, he has been stripped of all titles won during this period.
The official reason provided is the use of anabolic steroids. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) detected these substances in samples taken from Arslan Ash on December 10, 2022, during the World Esports Championship 2022 for Tekken 7. The violations were identified six months later, resulting in the disqualification officially commencing on April 26, 2023, and set to expire on the same date in 2025. Consequently, Arslan Ash forfeited all awards and prize money earned from the date the sample was submitted until the end of his ban, a sum exceeding $100,000.
Arslan Ash stated that he did not use the substances to gain an advantage in esports and immediately ceased taking them upon learning of their prohibition. The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) also came to Siddique`s defense. Representatives from ESIC noted that WADA`s lists of prohibited substances should not be strictly applied to esports competitions, given that most substances on the list do not enhance performance in computer games. Furthermore, the IESF instructed championship organizers not to impose additional sanctions on Siddique.
Arslan Ash has been participating in various fighting game tournaments since 2018. He has achieved his most significant successes in Tekken. For instance, the Pakistani player won the IESF World Esports Championships 2022 – the very tournament where he tested positive for doping. Siddique also secured championships at the Evolution Championship Series 2023 and the Tekken World Tour Finals 2023.
Finley Holt