Bajrang Punia banned for 4 years, cannot wrestle or search teaching alternatives overseas: Full timeline of occasions
Bajrang Punia, India’s Tokyo Olympics bronze medal-winning wrestler, was suspended by the Nationwide Anti-Doping Company (NADA) for 4 years for refusing to submit a pattern for a doping check on March 10 in the course of the nationwide staff choice trials. This choice got here after NADA had initially suspended Bajrang Punia on April 23 for a similar offence, which led to a subsequent suspension by the World Governing Physique, UWW.
This suspension implies that he won’t be allowed to take part in aggressive wrestling nor search teaching alternatives abroad, ought to he want to take action.
Bajrang contested the preliminary provisional suspension, and on Might 31, NADA’s Anti-Disciplinary Doping Panel (ADDP) lifted the suspension briefly till a proper discover of fees was issued. On June 23, NADA formally notified him of the costs.
In response to this, Bajrang, who had aligned himself with the Congress social gathering alongside fellow wrestler Vinesh Phogat and assumed management of the All India Kisan Congress, filed a problem in opposition to the costs on July 11. Following this, hearings came about on September 20 and October 4.
The ADDP concluded that Bajrang was accountable for sanctions below Article 10.3.1, leading to a four-year ban on his eligibility.
“The Panel holds that the Athlete is responsible for sanctions below Article 10.3.1 and responsible for ineligibility for a interval of 4 years,” the ADDP mentioned in its order.
“Within the current case, for the reason that Athlete had been provisionally suspended, the Panel accordingly holds that the Athlete’s interval of his ineligibility for the interval of 4 years shall begin from the date on which the notification was despatched, i.e., 23.04.2024.
“Evidently that on account of the lifting of the provisional suspension for the interval from 31.05.2024 to 21.06.2024 shall not be credited into the entire interval of ineligibility of 4 years.”
Bajrang cries foul play
Bajrang has constantly claimed that he was subjected to unfair remedy relating to doping management attributable to his involvement in protests in opposition to the previous Wrestling Federation of India President, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. He insisted that he by no means outright refused to supply a pattern however reasonably sought clarification from NADA relating to his issues over the usage of expired testing kits that have been despatched for his samples in December 2023.
NADA defended its actions, affirming that the Chaperone/Doping Management Officer (DCO) had correctly approached him, explaining the requirement to supply a urine pattern for evaluation. In his written protection, Bajrang expressed that NADA’s earlier conduct had led to distrust, claiming that the group’s lack of acknowledgment or response in previous incidents eroded his confidence within the doping management course of. He felt a way of ethical obligation to deal with these issues as a outstanding athlete within the sports activities group.
Bajrang acknowledged that he was all the time prepared to supply a pattern, contingent upon receiving ample responses from NADA relating to the expired kits. Nonetheless, NADA maintained that his refusal to cooperate was each intentional and deliberate, asserting that he has proven a blatant disregard for his obligations as outlined in Articles 20.1 and 20.2 of the Anti-Doping Guidelines, 2021.
