DOHA, Nov 29: Three Pakistan bodybuilders have been dropped from the Asian Games squad following positive doping tests, a Pakistan Olympic official said on Wednesday.

“I can confirm they tested positive and were dropped,” Salauddin, deputy chef-de-mission of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), told Reuters via telephone.

Salauddin said he was not sure which substance was involved. “We wanted to be sure all were clean,” he added, referring to the tests done before the squad left for the Qatari capital.

Pakistan had just three bodybuilders entered in the Dec. 1-15 Games -- Atif Anwar Ali, Khalid Ali and Shoaib Zahoor.

There have been no problems reported with the remainder of the Pakistan contingent.

A doping scandal jolted Pakistan in October when cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were recalled from the ICC Champions Trophy in India after testing positive for the banned steroid nandrolone.

Bodybuilding was introduced in the last Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea in 2002. —AFP