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Many Indian athletes heaved a sigh of relief last week when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Games till the summer of 2021, because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Apart from athletes, who were wary of the COVID-19 threat in Tokyo, the list also includes athletes who are yet to qualify for the quadrennial event and had their qualification events called off due to the fatal outbreak..
Yadav was handed a four-year ban by Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in August 2016 for failing a dope test. If the Olympics wasn’t postponed and held as per schedule in July-August this year, the dope-tainted wrestler wouldn’t have been able to compete as his ban ends only in July.
But it is a completely different scenario now. With more than a year to go for the Tokyo Games, Yadav will be eyeing to secure an Olympic quota in his favourite 74-kg category. And the way things stand now, it looks like the stars have aligned to make sure Yadav qualifies for the Tokyo Games.
Once dominated by two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, India is yet to book an Olympic spot in the 74-kg category. Yadav also has the backing of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), which has said that it won't stop the grappler from making a comeback.
In fact, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also clarified that athletes who have their doping ban ending in 2020 will eligible for qualification for the rescheduled Olympics in 2021.
Meanwhile, Jitendra Kumar has already sealed his place in the Indian contingent in the 74-kg category for the Asian Olympic Qualifiers after he won silver at the Asian Championships last year. This meant that Jitendra would get a direct qualification and there was no need for a re-trial against Kumar for a place in the qualifiers.
In the qualifiers, if Jitendra manages a second-place finish, it would be enough to dash all hopes of Kumar to qualify for his third Olympics.
More than Jitender, it is Kumar who might have something to worry about, especially given his past history with Yadav. At this moment, Kumar is recuperating from a injury.
Currently, Yadav is training in Mumbai with his coach Jagmal Singh. According to him, he always knew that he will get an opportunity to compete in Olympics.
“I don't know why, but I always had this feeling. I am completely focussed on my comeback and determined to win a medal at the Tokyo Games," he added.
The 31-year-old wrestler qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics after his bronze-medal finish at the World Championships in 2015. But Kumar, who missed the qualifiers due to injury, demanded a trial match against Yadav. He even filed an appeal at the Delhi High Court only to be rejected.
While the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) gave him a clean chit, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) challenged the decision and the case was moved to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
One day before Yadav's first bout at the Olympics, he was handed a four-year ban.
Despite his time away from the mat, Yadav has continued his training and is well aware of the competition that awaits him.
Planning to compete in the nationals first, Yadav is eager to make full use of the lifeline that has been provided to him. The 2010 Commonwealth gold medallist is not only sure that he would make it to Tokyo next year but is also confident of a podium finish.
“I am confident that not only will I qualify for the Olympics but also stand on the podium,” a confident Yadav declared.
(With inputs from PTI)
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