World wrestling body suspends Bajrang Punia until end of 2024 after NADA’s suspension
In Short
- World wrestling body UWW suspends Bajrang Punia until end of 2024
- UWW’s decision comes after national doping body provisionally suspended the wrestler
- Bajrang’s hopes of taking part in Paris Olympics takes a hit
Bajrang Punia, the Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist, faces a setback in his aspirations for the Paris Olympics as he receives a suspension until the end of 2024 from the world wrestling body, UWW.
This decision follows a provisional suspension by the national anti-doping agency, NADA, after Bajrang allegedly refused to undergo a dope test.
Despite being aware of NADA’s action, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) sanctioned approximately Rs 9 lakh for his training abroad.
The suspension stems from a whereabouts failure notice served to Bajrang on April 18, leading to his suspension by NADA on April 23.
Bajrang, however, contends that he never refused to provide a sample for testing but instead sought clarification from the Dope Control Officer regarding the use of expired kits.
While Bajrang claims to have received no communication from UWW regarding his suspension, the world governing body’s internal system clearly indicates his suspension until December 31, 2024, citing NADA’s provisional suspension for an alleged Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV).
Interestingly, despite his suspension, the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) sanctioned funds amounting to Rs 8,82,000 for Bajrang’s training in Dagestan, Russia, from May 28 onwards.
Originally proposed for April 24, the training trip was postponed to May 28 due to conflicting travel dates resulting from Bajrang’s whereabouts failure.
The decision by SAI to approve funds for Bajrang’s training raises questions, especially given his suspension. Neither Sandip Pradhan, the SAI Director General, nor Col.
Rakesh Yadav, joint CEO TOPS, provided explanations when reached out for comment.
In response to the sanctioning of his training, Bajrang expressed surprise and revealed the cancellation of his training plans.
He also mentioned that his lawyer has submitted a reply to NADA.
Additionally, in the same MOC meeting, wrestler Sarita Mor and Anshu Malik’s training stints were approved.
Sarita’s training in the USA and Anshu’s training in Japan were sanctioned at costs of Rs 5,96,000 and Rs 14,67,000, respectively.
With Bajrang’s suspension and potential implications for Olympic selection, the wrestling fraternity awaits further decisions from the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) regarding the final selection event.