Narsingh Yadav’s hopes of participating in the Rio Olympics next month is not entirely over as the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) revealed the names of the two fellow wrestlers who are alleged to have spiked Yadav’s food with banned substance.
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Narsingh’s chances of participating in the upcoming Rio Olympics came under a cloud last Sunday when he returned a positive result for a dope test conducted by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) on June 25.
The Maharashtra wrestler had been picked over two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar after he won the quota place with a bronze medal in last year’s World Championships.
Narsingh had earlier earned the India a berth in the 74 kg freestyle category at the Rio Games.
The doping controversy of wrestler Narsingh Yadav which has threatened to put his dream of winning a medal for the nation in the forthcoming Rio Olympics in jeopardy, rang loud in the two Houses with MPs cutting across party lines firing a barrage of questions on the matter, forcing the government to assure the House that it will make a statement on it on July 28. “I have always maintained that there has been a conspiracy against me”. “Although Praveen Rana has been named as replacement for Yadav if he gets a clean cheat, I am ready to fight another battle for him to secure his Olympic berth”, Singh told IANS. “We can not investigate this but we support Narsingh’s demand for a CBI enquiry”, said WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. “NADA will present their case tomorrow”, Narsingh’s lawyer Vidushpat Singhania. If I am cleared of the charges, I will go to Rio. According to reports, the intruder who spiked the food has been identified. Rana’s name has already been accepted, ‘ he said. Now it’s up to Yadav to prove his innocence.
“I feel even officials are involved because I am not being provided the CCTV footage”, he added.
Mustafa Ghouse, MD of JSW Sports who are Narsingh’s promoters, said they are ‘very confident. Once given a clean chit, he will go to the Olympics, ‘ the WFI boss said.
It is learnt that Narsingh’s name does not feature in the final list sent by the United World Wrestling to the International Olympic Committee.
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Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the issue was “serious”, adding that he will ask the concerned minister and department to take action. On Wednesday, the issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha by Congress MP Pramod Tiwari while Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis too urged sports minister Vijay Goel to look into the case.
