In a sad and unfortunate development for the Indian contingent at the 2016 Rio Olympics, wrestler Narsingh Yadav has been handed a four-year-ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following WADA’s appeal in response to the verdict of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). The decision comes a day before Narsingh Yadav’s bout at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the Men’s 74kg freestyle wrestling event was scheduled to take place.
A media release by the CAS, explaining this matter, said that WADA had urgently appealed NADA’s decision to absolve Narsingh Yadav of all doping charges and give him the clean chit to participate at the 2016 Rio Olympics; Narsingh had claimed sabotage and conspiracy. Giving out the decision in favour of WADA, the CAS said that their request for a four-year-period of ineligibility has been upheld.
The statement of CAS, in the media release, on this matter, said, “The ad hoc Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) atthe Olympic Games Rio 2016 has rendered its decision in the arbitration between the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA), the Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav and the National Anti-doping Agency of India (NADA). WADA filed an urgent application before the CAS ad-hoc Division to challenge the decision of NADA India to exonerate Narsingh Yadav following two positive anti-doping tests with methandienone on 25 June and 5 July 2016. The athlete asserted thathe was the victim of sabotage (food/drink tampering) by another person. WADA requested that a 4-year period of ineligibility be imposed on the athlete.
The CAS Panel in charge of this matter heard the parties and their representatives today between 13:00 and 17:00. At 18:45 today, the parties were informed that the application was upheld, that Narsingh Yadav was sanctioned with a four-year ineligibility period starting today and that any period of provisional suspension or ineligibility effectively served by the athlete before the entry into force of this award shall be credited against the total period of ineligibility to be served.
Furthermore, all competitive results obtained by Narsingh Yadav from and including 25 June 2016 shall be disqualified, with all resulting consequences (including forfeiture of medals, points and prizes).
The CAS Panel did not accept the argument of the athlete that he was the victim of sabotage and noted that there was no evidence that he bore no fault, nor that the anti-doping rule violation was not intentional. Therefore the standard 4-year period of ineligibility was imposed by the Panel.“
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), on its part, had told Sportskeeda a few hours ago, upon being contacted, that Narsingh Yadav had been cleared to participate in Rio. This ruling marks the end of Narsingh Yadav’s attempt at competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics. The entire episode will be remembered as one of the most shameful and embarrassing in the history of Indian sport.
