New Delhi: Olympic-bound Indian wrestler Sumit Malik has been provisionally suspended. This happened after Sumit Malik failed a dope test during the recent Qualifiers in Bulgaria. The development has come as a major embarrassment for India with just weeks left for the Games in Tokyo.
It marks the second consecutive instance of a wrestler being caught in dope net before the Olympics. It had earlier happened when Narsingh Pancham Yadav failed a dope test ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics. He was slapped with a four-year ban.
Sumit Malik, the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, had qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in the 125kg category at the World Olympic Qualifier event in Sofia, Bulgaria. It was the last chance for wrestlers to earn Olympic quotas.
The 28-year-old’s participation at the main event starting July 23 seems uncertain now.
“We got a mail Thursday from the UWW (United World Wrestling) that Sumit has failed the dope test and he has been suspended provisionally. The substance found in his sample is said to be 5-methylhexan-2-amine (1,4-dimethylpentylamine),” Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) secretary Vinod Tomar said Friday.
“We are surprised by this. He must have taken the substance unknowingly. Otherwise, he has a clean track record. Let’s wait for the result of his B sample,” Tomar added.
Non-specified substances are usually anabolic steroids and specified substances are stimulants.
Delhi-based sports lawyer Parth Goswami contended since this substance is a specified one, Malik cannot be suspended provisionally. “As per the WADA code 2021, in cases where an athlete is found positive for a non-specified substance, the athlete is placed under mandatory provisional suspension till the case is finally decided and during this time athlete cannot compete,” Goswami said.
“However, in a case involving a specified substance, the athlete is given an option of accepting provisional suspension. In case the athlete does not voluntarily take provisional suspension, he/she can participate in competitions till the matter is finally decided by the appropriate panel,” Goswami added.
Goswami cited the 2019 case of weightlifter Swati Singh, who was handed a similar suspension. “I had handled that case of Swati Singh. The IWF had sent a notice to IWLF imposing provisional suspension in a case of specified substance. When this was protested, the IWF immediately corrected this position,” he informed.
