QPlay: Narsingh’s Hearing, Inderjeet’s Latest & BCCI’s Big Meet

All the latest sports news in The Quint’s morning wrap.

Narsingh Yadav at the NADA hearing in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

1. NADA Adjourns Hearing, Narsingh’s Verdict Today

Narsingh Yadav’s Olympic fate will be known today after the National Anti-Doping Agency’s disciplinary panel adjourned its hearing on the dope scandal surrounding the wrestler even as he failed a second dope test and 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, which will pronounce its verdict today.

“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. We have presented our argument today and panel was very patient and we had a very fair hearing. NADA will present their case tomorrow,” Narsingh’s lawyer Vidushpat Singhania.

2. Inderjeet’s June 29 Sample is Clean: Sources

The dope sample of shot putter Inderjeet Singh taken on June 29 during National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Hyderabad has returned clean but the case relating to his earlier A sample which came out positive still stands, according to sources.

Rio Olympics-bound Inderjeet’s A sample taken out of competition on June 22 had returned positive on Monday for a cocktail of steroids and he has been told by NADA to have his B sample tested within seven days, failing which his dope failure will be confirmed.

It is understood that his June 29 sample was clean. NADA does so many tests on so many sportspersons that they don’t say which sample is clean. NADA normally informs about dope positive cases. But NADA will proceed on the June 22 dope positive case.

PTI Sources

BCCI President Anurag Thakur. (Photo Courtesy: @ianuragthakur)

3. No Intimation to Lodha Panel on Meeting; SGM Shifted to Delhi

The BCCI top brass is yet to “formally inform” the Supreme Court appointed Lodha Committee about the scheduled meeting that is going to take place on the implementation of the reforms post the apex court verdict.

In another development, the Special General Meeting that was convened on August 5 in Mumbai has been shifted to Delhi as the Parliament is in session at the moment which means that BCCI president and BJP parliamentarian Anurag Thakur along with Congress MP Rajeev Shukla need to be in the capital.

“There are reports in the media about August 9 being the date when BCCI official is going to meet the panel but there has been no official intimation till date. Also it must be mentioned that there were two e-mails sent to the office-bearers regarding the implementation of SC verdict but none of the BCCI top officials replied to the two emails sent,” a source close to the Panel told PTI.

4. Putin Says Russian Athletes’ Absence Will Affect Olympics Show

The competitions of the Rio Olympic Games will be less spectacular due to the absence of some Russian athletes unjustly banned from participation, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday.

“It is clear that the absence of Russian athletes, leaders in many disciplines, will significantly reduce the intensity of the struggle, and hence the spectacularity of the upcoming competition,” Putin said at a meeting with Russian athletes.

Putin met in the Kremlin with the national team, which will leave on Thursday for Rio de Janeiro to take part in the August 5-21 games and also those athletes who were not allowed to participate, reports Xinhua.

He criticised the decision of the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF), which excluded from the list of participants not only athletes caught using doping, but also “clean” athletes.

File photo of Barcelona star Javier Mascherano. (Photo: AP)

5. Mascherano to Stay at Barcelona Through 2018-19 Season

Barcelona says Argentina international Javier Mascherano has agreed to extend his contract with the Spanish champions until June 2019. Club executive Albert Soler says “we have reached an agreement to improve (Mascherano’s) contract” without specifying the financial details.

The 32-year-old Mascherano plays as a central defender for Barcelona alongside fellow first-choice centerback Gerard Pique.

Since his arrival in 2010 from Liverpool, he has played in 282 games for Barcelona and helped it win 16 titles, including two Champions League crowns.

Also on Wednesday, Barcelona presented new midfielder Andre Gomes.