WFI Blames Sports Authority, NADA for Narsingh’s Failed Dope Test

WFI was never informed about a letter NADA received from a SAI official alleging drug abuse in the centre.

Narsingh Yadav cannot compete in the rio Olympics 2016 owing to a ban by CAS. (Photo: The Quint)

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) allegeds that some junior officials of the Sports Authority of India and National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) were the culprits behind the four-year doping ban imposed on Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav, just 12 hours before his opening bout at the Rio Olympics.

During the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) hearing on Narsingh’s case, NADA revealed that they had received a written complaint on 4 July from a junior official of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) alleging drug abuse in the SAI centre.

When questioned by the world doping body, the national agency cited the letter as the reason why Yadav’s drug tests were held in such a short span of time, reported WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

On the basis of that complain, the dope tests were conducted again. The people who had spiked his food/drinks were not sure whether it was done properly (on 23 & 24 June) before the first test on 25 June, so they did it again before sending the complain letter to NADA team on 4 July for conducting another test.

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, WFI President

Why Was the Federation Not Informed About the Letter?

Suggesting the involvement of some junior level NADA officials, Singh said:

The WFI was not told about that complaint letter earlier. Although the letter was supposed to be sent to WFI, it was withheld. If we had that letter with us in Rio, our case would have been stronger. 

Singh reiterated that he would approach the Prime Minister and the Home Ministry and demand for a CBI probe.

Those who are guilty must be punished. In fact, if Narsingh is found guilty then he should be severely punished. I am again saying that it was a conspiracy.

Narsingh Paid for the Lack of Criminal Proceedings in India

During the hearing in Rio, CAS had said that Narsingh failed to produce any “real evidence” regarding the sabotage theory he had advanced and the “balance of probabilities” was that he orally took the banned substance intentionally in tablet form on more than one occasion.

But Singh said it was not the main reason for Narsingh being handed a ban. Instead he stressed that Narsingh paid for the absence of criminal proceedings in India, saying that if the culprit behind Narsingh’s sabotage had been caught, the result of the hearing might not have been the same.

We tried to explain that our criminal proceedings take a long time, even the court cases follow a long procedure. But CAS wanted to know what action has been taken against those who are guilty. Had police done their job properly and had arrested the guy (Jithesh), who had spiked Narsingh’s food/drinks, then he would not have had to face the suspension.

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, WFI President

WADA has however said that if any decision is rendered at a later stage by a criminal court in India confirming the alleged sabotage, then any award made by the CAS panel could be reviewed by the Supreme Court in Switzerland, where the CAS is based.

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(With PTI inputs)