Rio de Janeiro : Narsingh Yadav’s dream of competing at the ongoing Rio Olympics has come to an end with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upholding the World Anti Doping Agency’s (WADA) appeal against the clean chit given to him in a doping violation case.
The ad hoc division of the sport court, which met here on Thursday to hear the WADA’s appeal against the clearance to Narsingh by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA), also slapped a four-year ban on the wrestler.
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The panel did not accept the argument of the athlete that he was a victim of sabotage and noted that there was no evidence that he bore no fault; nor was there evidence that the anti-doping rule violation was not intentional.
“It is very sad and unfortunate. We were hopeful until the last proceeding of the CAS that he will get through which unfortunately did not happen,” Indian Chef de Mission Rakesh Gupta told IANS after the hearing.
“It is really very sad because he had a real potential to clinch a medal.”
The Wrestling Federation of India has called for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the whole affair. With the CAS announcing its verdict, Narsingh’s campaign at the ongoing Rio Olympics has ended before it could start.
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The CAS decision is a continuation of a long ordeal for Narsingh, who was preferred over double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar to take part in the Olympics by the WFI that led to a major legal battle between the two wrestlers. Narsingh, who bagged the quota with a bronze medal finish in last year’s World Championships, won the legal battle, but then ran into trouble over alleged doping offences. He first returned positive for a banned steroid following a dope test on June 25 by NADA, before being cleared on August 1.
Narsingh had claimed a conspiracy to frame him and had filed a police report in this regard, although he refrained from naming anyone.
The WFI chief had backed Narsingh’s claims and had asserted that a conspiracy was hatched to stop the wrestler from participating in the Olympics and this needs to be exposed in order to secure future generations of sportspersons. —
