Narsingh saga nears end with NADA set to take final decision
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Narsingh Yadav's slim hopes of a Rio appearance will soon be decided upon by the NADA panel after it closed hearing out the wrestler's plea yesterday. Protesting his innocence, Narsingh hoped that he will get a positive result, but the NADA's lawyer said that his case looked unconvincing.
Narsingh Yadav's already-controversial Olympic bid is now bleak after the wrestler was found to have banned substances in his sample last week. However, the wrestler, like several such cases in the past, alleged that there was a conspiracy to prevent him from going to Rio. And unlike several cases, he may probably be the wronged party as developments emerge day after day.
Initial suspicions had centered around why a wrestler who had already qualified in a particular weight category would consume a substance that could push him over the weight limit, that too days before the Olympics. In fact, reports came out that the brother of an international wrestler, who frequents the Sonipat camp as a sparring partner could have spiked his supplements.
As the final authority, the NADA rules on these issues, and Narsingh gave his side of the story in front of a NADA panel yesterday.
"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," Narsingh told reporters after coming out of the hearing yesterday.
However, NADA's lawyer Gaurang Kanth said that Narsingh's case for a conspiracy were not backed sufficiently pointing to an end to the wrestler's dreams.
"The argument by NADA was that he is not eligible for remission which he has been asking. Narsingh did not produce the relevant circumstantial evidence that there could have been sabotage as had been claimed by them," Kanth said, reported PTI.
"They filed an affidavit that his drinks or water was spiked but they did not produce the evidence to prove it to satisfy NADA and WADA," he added.
The National Anti-Doping Agency has deferred its final verdict to Saturday or Monday at the end of a two-day hearing.
The 26-year-old, however, said that he will continue his practice in hopes of catching a last-minute entry to the Rio Olympics.
"I am continuing with my practice and am still hopeful that I will be able to go to Rio," Narsingh said.
"I have been framed. It was a conspiracy against me. I have never ever doped in such a long career," he concluded.
