Bajrang Punia provisionally suspended for refusing dope test, WFI kept in the dark

Bajrang Punia has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for failing to submit a urine sample during selection trials in Sonepat on 10 March. Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has expressed displeasure with being kept “in dark” on the development and is planning to write to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

“With subject to paragraph 4:1:2 below and in accordance with article 7.4 of the NADR 2021, you are immediately provisionally suspended from participation in any competition or activity prior to the final decision reached at a hearing in this matter,” NADA said in its communication dated 23 April.

The 30-year-old wrestler has time until 7 May to provide a written explanation for refusing to provide his urine sample. “If you do accept the consequences, the case will be resolved without further disciplinary proceedings, subject to the right of appeal. If you disagree, the matter will be referred for adjudication to the anti-doping disciplinary panel,” said a letter by NADA to the wrestler.

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Reacting to the suspension, Punia said he never refused to provide his sample to NADA officials.

“I want to clarify that I never refused to give my sample to NADA officials. I requested them to first answer me as to what action they took on the expired kit they brought to take my sample and then take my dope test,” Bajrang wrote on X. “My lawyer Vidush Singhania will reply to this letter,” he wrote further.

If the charges stick, Punia, who won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, will be barred from selection trials scheduled for next month. As of now, no Indian wrestler has won a quota place in the 65kg weight category. Sujeet Kalkal is slated to represent India at the World Qualifiers in Istanbul from 9 May.

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Meanwhile WFI President Sanjay Singh expressed his surprise that NADA did not inform them about the suspension.

“It’s really surprising that NADA did not keep us in loop while suspending Bajrang. I had a meeting with NADA DG and other officials on April 25 and this matter was not raised in that meeting,” Sanjay told news agency PTI.

“They keep communicating with us on matters such as whereabout clause requirements, long list (for Paris Olympics) and so on. Even we had a discussion about the recent Federation Cup, where they sent officials to collect samples from the winners.

“But they did not let us know about this suspension of Bajrang Punia. I called NADA officials this morning and they had no answer to my query. Now, I plan to write to NADA and also inform WADA about this,” he said.

It was reported that wrestler Vinesh Phogat had also initially refused to provide her sample after she won the women’s 50kg trials in Patiala.

“We were not informed by anyone whose samples were taken after trials (in Sonepat and Patiala) and what came out of those samples. Just imagine if Bajrang had come to compete in the Federation Cup. We would have allowed him because we had no clue that he had been suspended,” the WFI chief added.

As per a report, the suspension letter was sent to the now defunct ad-hoc committee of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), instead of the federation that has now been recognised by the United World Wrestling (UWW).

Bhupender Singh Bajwa, who was the head of the dissolved ad-hoc panel, told PTI they also have no communication regarding the suspension of Bajrang, the Tokyo Games bronze medallist.

“I have got the mail checked. We have no such communication. We got a mail on April 18 about a warning to Bajrang but the April 23 communication is not with us. I don’t know to which email ID they sent it,” Bajwa said.