Tekken champion Arslan Ash has responded to a doping sanction issued by the International Esports Federation (IESF), stating he unknowingly consumed banned substances and had no intention to gain an advantage in competition.
In June, the IESF announced that Ash tested positive for anabolic steroids following his victory at the 2022 World Esports Championship (WEC22) in Tekken 7. The substances detected, 19-norandrosterone, stanozolol metabolites and others, are banned by the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA), whose list the IESF follows.
The ruling led to a two-year ban from IESF-sanctioned events, retroactively covering April 26 2023 to April 25 2025.
Ash was also stripped of all titles, points, prize money and awards earned between December 10 2022 and the start of the ban. This included his WEC22 title.
Ash, widely regarded as one of the best Tekken players in history, he was unaware the supplements he took were considered performance-enhancing, as reported by ProPakistani.
“I wasn’t aware these drugs were banned in esports,” he said. “I was never using them for any kind of advantage in gaming.”
He explained that the substances were sold to him in 2022 by a trainer at a gym in Pakistan. “I was misled and unfortunately became a victim of a gym culture where substances like these are sold casually, with zero guidance or education,” he wrote later on social media.
The IESF maintained its “zero-tolerance” stance in its original statement, saying it would continue to enforce WADA-based testing protocols across global esports events.
However, the decision has been met with scepticism. Critics have questioned both the timing of the ruling, more than two years after the competition, and the relevance of steroid testing in a discipline not reliant on physical performance.
The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) also released a statement declining to enforce the ruling, arguing that the anti-doping framework being applied lacks scientific basis for esports.
“Without a scientifically grounded and purpose-built approach to anti-doping in esports, serious consequences to competitive integrity are inevitable,” ESIC said.
Ash said he stopped using the supplements once he learned their contents and has since prioritised education and health.
“I’ve joined a better gym, taken full responsibility and educated myself to ensure this never happens again,” he said.
Despite the controversy, Ash’s most significant victories, including multiple EVO titles and the 2023 Tekken World Tour, remain recognised by tournament organisers.
His sponsor, Twisted Minds, also voiced support, calling the IESF’s framework “outdated” and not designed for esports. “Arslan’s career has always been built on skill, passion and relentless work,” the team said in a statement.
Ash first rose to international prominence in 2019, becoming the first player to win both EVO Japan and EVO Las Vegas in the same year.
With five EVO titles and a World Tour championship, he remains one of the most decorated players in the history of competitive Tekken.
