Fortune is with Narsingh Yadav, now it is the time for celebration. He has cleared his path to reach Rio Olympics. After many events of dope drama, National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) on Monday cleared the charges against the wrestler. He convinced the panel that he is the victim of ‘sabotage’.
NADA chief Navin Agarwal announced that he had no fault in his part but a competitor sabotaged him. The panel cleared him from all charges of violating anti-doping rules. For the first time he faced four years ban but he appealed under article 10.4 of WADA code that provides for “elimination of ineligibility where an athlete can prove that despite all due care he or she was sabotaged by a competitor”. At the NADA headquarter, Narsingh who had been replaced by Praveen Rana was present when the decision was taken.
Later, Narsingh thanked the Prime Minister’s office for their involvement. Narsingh said, “I bow down and thank everyone from the Prime Minister’s Office, the sports ministry, the Sports Authority of India and the Wrestling Federation of India for their support and assistance.” WFI President and BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh stated that PM Narendra Modi had declared a prompt investigation on the matter. The wrestler satisfactorily said he was sure about his innocence and he never had any doubt about the clearance. Now his only focus is to give his best and will bring glory to the nation.
But he will have to get a clearance from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The United World Wrestling (UWW) must also agree to put him back. WFI President averred that they would forward a copy of the NADA panel’s verdict to the UWW and IOC to get a clear assurance if they would allow Narsingh to participate.
If he would get the clearance still he has to cross a hurdle as there’s a chance WADA can disapprove the NADA panel verdict and challenge it at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). Even NADA in a meeting with WADA can also lodge an appeal against the exoneration with its disciplinary panel.
Former head of sports medicine at Sports Authority of India (SAI) and a member of previous NADA panels, Dr P S M Chandran said, “WADA can appeal against the hearing panel’s verdict at the CAS. Moreover, as it is an Olympic year, the IOC’s medical commission can also appeal at CAS. These appeals have to be made within 21 days.”
NADA director general Navin Agarwal commented the banned anabolic steroid methandienone is seemed to be reduced from the athlete’s body. The sample which has collected on 25th June, has substantially reduced in the sample collected on 5th July. He added that Narsingh had not been informed about the first sample till the collection of 5th July’s sample. It is important if he had been taking the substance then the July 5 report would have been positive to that extent of having the banned substance.
Though Yadav’s friends, family and supports are busy to celebrate but the fear of another ‘sabotage’ forced him to change the place of his practice. He made it very clear that under any circumstances he will not practice at SAI centre, instead he will train in his own ‘akhada’ in Mumbai. He requested the WFI to allow him to practice in Mumbai and asked WFI president to excuse him from going to Georgia for the training. “The federation has accepted my request and I am thankful to them as I don’t want to take any chances now.”
Narsingh’s lawyer, Vidushpat Singhania will undergo a “reinstatement test before leaving for Olympics“, a requirement for any athlete who has had an adverse analytical finding.
Earlier, Narsingh filed a complaint against a junior trainee for mixing banned substance in his food. He partly won his battle and hope for the best to get an approval from the IOC and UWW to participate in Rio Olympics which starts from 5th August.
