PTI
New Delhi, July 27: Narsingh Yadav’s Olympic fate will be known Thursday after the National Anti-Doping Agency’s (NADA) disciplinary panel adjourned its hearing on the dope scandal here Wednesday. Meanwhile in a separate move, Narsingh lodged a police complaint against two fellow grapplers.
In a hearing which lasted three-and-half-hours, Narsingh and his battery of lawyers presented their case in front of the NADA committee.
“We have put Narsingh’s argument. We have full faith in the NADA panel. We are trying to convince them. We are hopeful he will be exonerated. NADA panel is helpful. It was very patient and we had a very fair hearing,” Narsingh’s lawyer Vidushpat Singhania told reporters. “We are confident about a positive result.”
Amid scenes of complete pandemonium at the NADA headquarters, Narsingh was accompanied by not just lawyers but also his supporters, who shouted slogans demanding justice for him.
The wrestler has alleged that he has been framed in the doping scandal by rivals, who spiked his food and supplements to stop him from going to Rio. However, his supplements have reportedly been found to be clean.
Narsingh filed an FIR at the Sonepat Police Station naming two fellow wrestlers, one of them a 17-year-old, and persisted with his demand for a CBI probe into the scandal. The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) also continued to back Narsingh but announced that Parveen Rana would replace him in the squad for Rio de Janeiro, a move that was approved by the sport’s world governing body – United World Wrestling.
“I have always maintained that there has been a conspiracy against me. If I am cleared of the charges, I will go to Rio. I have identified the boy who was seen contaminating my food. I have given a detailed complaint to the police,” Narsingh told reporters after filing his report. “I feel even officials are involved because I am not being provided the CCTV footage,” he added.
Narsingh himself desisted from taking names but WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh revealed the alleged saboteurs while talking to the media.
“We suspect Jitesh, who fights in the 75kg category, and Sumit, both of them live in Chhatarsaal. And one of them has admitted to spiking Narsingh’s food. I can’t say whether they did this on their own or on someone’s asking. We cannot investigate this but we support Narsingh’s demand for a CBI inquiry,” Brij Bhushan Sharan informed.
Earlier, the WFI sent Rana’s name to replace Narsingh, putting an end to the speculation surrounding double-Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar’s chances.
Freestyle wrestler Rana had won a gold medal in the 74kg category at the Dave Schultz Memorial wrestling tournament in USA in 2014.
“United World Wrestling has informed the IOA last week that since the positive test occurred outside of the qualification event it would be allowed to replace Yadav with another wrestler, or else vacate the qualification spot,” the United World Wrestling said in a emailed statement.
