Narsingh Yadav’s chances of representing India in the Rio Olympics received a major jolt as it is learnt that he could not provide sufficient evidence to the disciplinary panel of the National Anti-Doping Agency to back his declaration in his affidavit – that there was an attempt by a wrestler to contaminate his food on June 5 at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Sonepat.
According to a report in The Times of India, Yadav in his affidavit has also stated that there was a possibility of the same wrestler spiking his water during one of the four practice sessions he undertook on June 23 and June 24 after returning from a training stint in Bulgaria.
The disciplinary panel’s hearing on dope-tainted wrestler Narsingh Yadav has been concluded and will pronounce its verdict on either Saturday or Monday. Following the conclusion of the two-day hearing, NADA's lawyer Gaurang Kanth told reporters that the embattled wrestler had not been able to provide substantial evidence to justify his claims of conspiracy behind his positive dope test.
"NADA's defence was that Narsingh has not been able to establish his claim that he is under no fault or how the substance has entered his body," the NADA lawyer said while adding that the Mumbai-based wrestler could face a potential ban of two-four years if proven guilty.
Meanwhile, according to a report in The Indian Express, the NADA’s legal team raised questions over why the complaint of contaminating food was made against the wrestler three weeks after the alleged incident. Narsingh explained that the delay to file a police complaint occurred because he knew of the incident only after returning from Bulgaria.
“Narsingh’s other contention that his water was spiked on either one of the two days, June 23 and June 24, put the wrestler on a weaker footing because he was trying to establish that he bears no fault or negligence. But in such a scenario there, were four possible instances of him being careless or negligent – during morning and evening training sessions on both days. Narsingh’s arguments were that when he was training – in the morning and evening – at the Sonepat centre his water was contaminated with the drug by someone, presumably the 17-year-old cadet wrestler from Chhatrasal stadium who had also attempted to spike the food in the canteen,” says the Indian Express report.
“When asked by NADA lawyers as to why he had been careless on more than one occasion about the source of the water he consumed, Narsingh could not establish beyond reasonable doubt that his drink had been spiked. The alleged contamination of the water occurred a day after the wrestling squad, including Narsingh returned from Bulgaria after a training stint,” says the report.
The DNA reports that NADA has demanded a ban of four years but it will now be decided on either Saturday or the coming Monday. “The only interest now remains in the case is whether this four-year-ban could be reduced to three or two, given the conspiracy angle,” says the report.
NADA's lawyer Gaurang Kanth stated that "the argument by NADA was that Yadav is not eligible for remission that he has been asking as he has failed to produce the 'relevant circumstantial evidence' that there could have been sabotage as had been claimed by them".
