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Olympic medalist wrestler Bajrang Punia has refuted allegations that he refused to provide urine samples during selection trials in Sonepat in March. He claims that he merely requested an explanation from the dope control officials after they failed to provide adequate proof of carrying proper equipment.Punia, who won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, stated that he had previously encountered issues with NADA officials. On two separate occasions, they had arrived with expired kits and only one testing kit instead of the mandatory three.On March 10, when approached by alleged doping control officials, Punia sought an explanation for these previous lapses. However, he received no response. He then informed the officials that he would provide a sample upon receiving an explanation.Instead of providing an explanation, the officials left the venue, claiming it to be a refusal from Punia's end. He emphasized that he remained at the venue for an hour after the incident and met with the SAI doctor for treatment of a knee injury.Punia also alleged that the DCOs did not follow protocol by leaving before he submitted his medical report to the competition manager. He believes that his actions were justified due to NADA's past actions and the need to ensure compliance with doping control protocols."It is my moral obligation towards the wrestling community and particularly the younger wrestlers, that I exercised here," Punia stated.

Bajrang Punia, India's star wrestler and Tokyo Olympic medalist, has been provisionally suspended by the United World Wrestling (UWW) for an alleged anti-doping rule violation. The suspension stems from an incident on March 10, when Punia refused to provide a sample after the selection trials in Sonepat.The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) issued a notice to Punia on April 23, requesting a response by May 7. In his defense, Punia released a video on social media, questioning NADA's use of an expired sample collection kit in December.Punia's lawyer, Vidhuspat Singhania, confirmed that they had submitted a reply to NADA's notice on May 7. However, he expressed unawareness of the UWW suspension.According to UWW records, Punia's suspension will remain in effect until December 31, 2024. The suspension is based on NADA's provisional suspension for an alleged anti-doping rule violation.Provisional suspensions by anti-doping authorities apply to all competitions, both domestic and international, until the charges are resolved. International federations typically do not issue separate suspensions in such cases.The hearing in Punia's case has yet to commence. However, UWW rules allow for provisional suspensions in cases of anti-doping rule violations that do not involve an adverse analytical finding or a final hearing.Punia's suspension is a significant setback for his Olympic aspirations. He failed to qualify for the two Olympic qualifiers after losing in the Sonepat trials. India has yet to secure an Olympic berth in the 65kg weight class, which will be contested by Sujeet Kalkal in the ongoing World Qualifiers.If Punia is ultimately banned for refusing to provide a sample, his Olympic dreams will be shattered.In a separate development, NADA has withdrawn a notice of "three whereabouts failures" against Punia. Singhania clarified that the notice was issued in error and that it had been retracted.

Wrestling's governing body, United World Wrestling (UWW), has suspended Bajrang Punia until December 31, 2024, following the National Anti-Doping Agency's (NADA) provisional suspension for refusing a dope test. Despite this, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has sanctioned nearly Rs 9 lakh for Punia's training abroad, despite being aware of NADA's order.Punia, a Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist, was suspended by NADA on April 23 after failing to provide a sample for testing. He claims he did not refuse to give a sample but questioned the use of expired kits.The UWW has updated its system to reflect Punia's suspension, stating that he is suspended until December 31, 2024, for an alleged Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV).Despite the suspension, SAI approved Punia's proposal for training in Dagestan, Russia, from May 28. The proposal included travel expenses for his strength and conditioning coach and sparring partner.SAI officials have not responded to requests for an explanation for the decision to sanction Punia's training. Punia confirmed that he had submitted a proposal to SAI but has since canceled his training plans.In the same meeting, SAI also sanctioned training expenses for Sarita Mor and Anshu Malik. Mor will train in the USA, while Malik will train in Japan.If the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) holds a final selection event, Mor will need to win to challenge Anshu Malik, who has already secured an Olympic quota in the women's 57kg category.

Star Indian sprinter Hima Das is set to make her long-awaited return to the track at the Indian Grand Prix 1 in Bengaluru on Tuesday. The 24-year-old was provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) last year for three whereabouts failures in 12 months. However, a NADA Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel cleared her to compete again last month.Das's return is a major boost for Indian athletics. She is a former Asian Games silver medalist in the 400m and was part of the gold and silver-winning women's 4x400m and mixed 4x400m relay quartets in Jakarta in 2018. She was not named in the Hangzhou Asian Games team last year due to an injury.Das last ran a race in April 2022, when she won a gold in the 200m at the Indian Grand Prix in Bengaluru. She missed the entire 2023 season due to injury.Das's whereabouts failures came to light in September last year. Under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules, any combination of three whereabouts failures within a period of 12 months constitute an anti-doping rule violation. Athletes included in the Registered Testing Pool (RTP) must provide full address for their overnight location, the name and full address of each location where they train, work or conduct other regular scheduled activities, as well as the usual time-frames of each activity. RTP athletes must also identify a 60-minute window and location for each day of the quarter, during which they must be available for testing. Failure to comply with whereabouts and testing obligations will result in a whereabouts failure.Das has faced a maximum two-year ban if proven guilty, which can be reduced to a minimum of one year depending on the degree of her fault. However, the NADA disciplinary panel cleared her to compete again, and she is now set to make her return at the Indian Grand Prix 1.

Shalu Chaudhary Exonerated of Doping Charges After DNA Testing Reveals Tampering or ContaminationNew Delhi: In a significant development, the National Anti-Doping Agency's (NADA) appeals' panel has exonerated middle-distance runner Shalu Chaudhary of doping charges. The panel lifted her four-year ban after DNA testing revealed that her urine sample had either been tampered with or contaminated at the time of collection.Chaudhary, a 30-year-old national-level medallist in 800m, was banned last year after losing her appeal to NADA's disciplinary panel. She was suspended for the alleged use of two substances, including a stimulant and peptide hormones.Undeterred, Chaudhary sought a DNA testing of her urine sample, a plea that was initially rejected by the disciplinary committee. However, the appeals panel accepted her request, and the testing was conducted at the Forensics department of King's College, London.The DNA testing results were crucial in Chaudhary's exoneration. The appeals panel order stated that the A and B samples from the previously analyzed urine sample produced "extremely poor partial DNA profiles, presenting as a mixture of two female individuals in similar proportions."This finding strongly suggested that the sample had been compromised, either through tampering or contamination. The counsel for NADA acknowledged the DNA report and did not challenge its findings.As a result, the appeals panel set aside the four-year ban imposed on Chaudhary and the consequential directions of forfeiture of competitive results. The panel also directed NADA to refund the ₹1.5 lakh collected from Chaudhary for the DNA testing within 10 days.Chaudhary's defense centered around the contention that her positive dope test was a result of tampering or contamination during sample collection. Her lawyers, Parth Goswami and Akshay Kumar, cited precedents where DNA testing had been permitted, including a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and a previous decision by NADA in the case of motorsports athlete Vijay Singh.The appeals panel emphasized the need for fairness and discretion in such matters and accepted Chaudhary's request for DNA testing."I am pleased to announce that the appeals panel's decision to exonerate Shalu Chaudhary validates our longstanding assertion of innocence," said Goswami in a statement. "While I am relieved by this outcome, I am deeply saddened by the toll it has taken on Shalu's career."Chaudhary's exoneration highlights the importance of thorough investigations and the use of scientific evidence in anti-doping cases. It also serves as a reminder of the potential consequences of false or inaccurate doping allegations on an athlete's career and reputation.