Not one to be on the again foot, be it on the wrestling mat or away from it, India’s Olympic bronze medal-winning wrestler Bajrang Punia termed his four-year suspension for alleged doping violation a vindictive transfer by the federal government, which might quash the ban if he joined the BJP.
India’s wrestler Bajrang Punia reacts after a wrestling match(PTI)
The wrestler alleged that the federal government is seeking to get again at them for his or her involvement within the long-drawn sit-in protest towards former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a BJP politician. “I also feel that because of our protest in support of the women wrestlers, they are trying to exact revenge because all the agencies fall under the purview of the government.
“I’ve been competing for the final 10-12 years and I’ve given pattern throughout all tournaments, through the India camps. However the authorities’s motive is to interrupt us, make us bow all the way down to them. If I be part of the BJP then I feel all my bans might be lifted,” Bajrang claimed.
The suspension means that Bajrang will not be able to return to competitive wrestling or apply for a coaching job abroad, if he aspires to, till April 22, 2028.
NADA said Bajrang violated the rules by refusing to give sample during selection trials for the national team on March 10.
The anti-doping body had first suspended the Tokyo Games bronze medallist wrestler on April 23 for the offence following which, the sport’s world governing body UWW had also slapped him with a suspension.
Bajrang defends his stance, alleges NADA used expired kits
Bajrang defended his stance of not giving his samples by claiming that NADA came to his place with an expired kit. All he wanted was an explanation and clean testing procedure.
“It’s not stunning as a result of this subject about trial has been happening for final one 12 months. I’ve mentioned previously too that I’ve not refused to offer pattern to NADA. After they visited my house to conduct the dope check, they got here with an expiry equipment (in December, 2023). I’ve additionally posted this on social media,” he said. Bajrang, along with fellow wrestler and Olympian Vinesh Phogat, have joined the Congress Party earlier this year.
Bajrang added in his defence, “You possibly can’t give expiry equipment to any participant and so far as I’m involved, my workforce was there, so that they noticed it. They got here carrying expiry kits dated 2020, 2021, 2022. “I gave my urine sample but then my team checked the kit and found out that it was expired. So we made a video of the kit and we mailed NADA, called them to inform about the mistake. But they did not accept their mistake.”