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Narsingh's exoneration raises many questions

Last Updated 01 August 2016, 19:29 IST

In a judgement that has thrown up more questions than answers, Narsingh Pancham Yadav was cleared of doping charges by a National Anti-Doping Disciplinary panel on grounds of “sabotage” on Monday.

Narsingh -- whose euphoria now hinges on whether the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the United World Wrestling decide to appeal -- for now is relieved.

“This is the biggest fight of my life. I knew I was right. I am going to Rio and do my best to win a medal,” said Narsingh, whose samples collected from SAI, Sonipat on June 25 and July 5 had returned positive for banned anabolic steroid methandienone.
NADA lawyer Guarang Kanth, who had contended that Narsingh had failed to establish the theory of sabotage, was expectedly surprised by the decision. “It has come as a bit of a shock,” Kanth said.

As of now, it looks unlikely that NADA would appeal against the decision. In case WADA chooses to appeal, with Narsingh being an international athlete, the matter will be argued in Court of Arbitration for Sport.

In twists and turns that could beat a Bollywood potboiler, Narsingh has been in the eye of storm ever since he pipped double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar to become India‘s entry for the 74kg weight category in the Rio Games.

Narsingh, who hails from Varanasi, had received a strong backing from the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh. Singh even spoke of Prime Minister Narender Modi taking interest in the matter.

Narsingh had even filed an FIR in the wee hours of Wednesday in the Rai district of Sonipat, naming a junior wrestler for sabotaging his drinks. The FIR, however, followed after the result of his supplements returned negative. 

The two-day marathon hearing at NADA office on Wednesday and Thursday was followed by the panel summoning the witlessness that included two cooks at SAI, Sonipat, on Friday to examine them.

Incidentally, NADA lawyer didn’t even get to examine the witnesses, who had till then only filed the affidavits. This is considered highly improper. If WADA appeals, the case would be argued afresh in CAS and then again the witnesses, brought in for closed hearing, may have to depose again or submit affidavits.

Inordinate delay
The verdict, which was earlier supposed to be announced on Saturday evening, faced an inordinate delay before being announced on the day by NADA director-general Navin Agarwal, a former IPS officer.

He said the panel found the wrestler a deserving beneficiary of article 10.4 of NADA rules that states, 'If an athlete or other person establishes in an individual case that he or she bears no fault or negligence, then the otherwise applicable period of ineligibility shall be eliminated. They will only apply in exceptional circumstances, for example, where an athlete could prove that, despite all due care, he or she was sabotaged by a competitor.'

 Agarwal added: "Important to note that report of the first sample was not known to the athlete till the collection of second sample on July 5.  Had the athlete been regularly taking it, the report of July 5 would have been positive to the extent of having the main substance."

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(Published 01 August 2016, 19:29 IST)

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