Wrestler who secured quota 49 days before Tokyo Olympics fails dope test; Before the 2016 Olympics, Narsingh was also a victim of this.
There are only 49 days left in the Tokyo Olympics. Earlier, Indian Wrestling has suffered another setback. According to the report of the Indian Express, a wrestler who had secured the quota failed the dope test. He is accused of consuming a banned substance. United World Wrestling has currently suspended this wrestler for violating the rule of anti-doping. However, the identity of this wrestler has not been revealed in the report, as his sample-B test is yet to come.
The Wrestling Federation of India said that they were not aware of this, while the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) refused to comment on it. Wrestler's participation in the Olympics, who failed the dope test, is now uncertain. Along with this, India is also in danger of losing a quota. Earlier, wrestler Narsingh Yadav, who had secured a quota 10 days before the 2016 Rio Olympics, also failed the dope test. After that he could not participate in the Olympics.
The largest Indian contingent of 8 players in wrestling so far is going to the Olympics. Earlier in 2016, 7 wrestlers went to Rio. Out of 8 there are 4 male and 4 female wrestlers. This time Ravi Kumar Dahiya, Bajrang Punia, Deepak Poonia, Sumit Malik, Seema Bisla, Vinesh Phogat, Anshu Malik and Sonam Malik are going to Tokyo. These include Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Deepak Poonia in the top three in the world rankings. Medals are being expected from all three.
Wrestling has been one of the most important sports in India in the Olympics. India had won medals in three consecutive Olympics i.e. 2008, 2012 and 2016. Wrestler Sushil Kumar in 2008 and 2012 and Yogeshwar Dutt won medals for India in 2016. However, this sport has also reported the highest number of doping failures.According to NADA's 2019-2020 records, wrestling is the third largest sport to violate anti-doping rules. Beyond this there is only athletics and weightlifting. In 2019-20, 12 cases of dope test failures were reported in wrestling.
This is the second time in a row that an Indian wrestler has failed a dope test before the Olympics. Earlier in 2016 before the Rio Olympics, the case of wrestler Narsingh Yadav came to the fore. In 2016, Narsingh and two-time Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar were contenders in the 74 kg weight. Sushil could not take part in the Olympic qualifiers trials. Narsingh was then sent for the Olympic Qualifiers event. Narsingh also achieved the quota with his talent.
10 days before the Olympics, the sample sent for doping by Narsingh's National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) came positive. Although NADA gave him a clean chit, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) not only barred him from participating in the Olympics, but also banned him for 4 years. Narsingh also came out openly in this matter and made serious allegations against Sushil.
He had said that he was implicated in doping at the behest of Sushil. He alleged that during training in Sonepat, something was mixed in his food at the behest of Sushil. In this case, on the initiative of the Prime Minister, an inquiry committee was also constituted for the matter. At the same time, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) refused to give quota to any other player in place of Narsingh and India lost one of its quota.
