Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav’s Olympic fate hangs in balance as the National Anti-Doping Agency deferred its final verdict on the doping scandal surrounding him to Saturday or Monday at the end of a two-day hearing in New Delhi on Thursday.
Yadav is still pleading innocence and is hoping for a reprieve from the national anti-doping panel, but his claims of a conspiracy against him aren’t backed by substantial evidence. His lawyers stuck to his theory of sabotage, but weren’t sure whether his food or water was contaminated, how it was contaminated and had no proof to back this claim.
National Doping Agency (Nada) lawyer Gaurang Kanth said Narsingh and his lawyers did not put forward any proof of their claims. “We stated that the plea that was taken by him that he was under no fault and there was no negligence is not correct and this will not hold ground as far as Nada is concerned,” Hindustan Times quoted Kanth as saying.
“Under Nada rule 2.1 it is the task of the athletes to ensure that no (prohibited) substance enters their body. The argument by NADA was that he is not eligible for remission which he has been asking.”
“I have put forward my side of the story in front of the panel. I have told them the truth. Now I will have to wait for the panel’s decision. I am hopeful that the panel will give a right decision,” The Times of India quoted Narsingh as saying.