Narsingh Yadav admits to doping violation 'without his knowledge' at NADA hearing

Narsingh Yadav admitted to the doping offence that has virtually ruled him out of the upcoming Rio Olympics, but he maintained that it was done without his knowledge, or in other words, a result of someone else’s doing. Narsingh, who edged two-time Olympic medal-winner Sushil Kumar for a spot in the 74kg category in the upcoming Games, made the statement at the start of his defence before a National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) panel in New Delhi, as per a report on Hindustan Times. Narsingh’s lawyers, led by Vidhuspat Singhania, added that the alleged sabotage occurred either on 23 or 24 June. [caption id=“attachment_2914364” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of Narsingh Yadav. Reuters[/caption] “While he was exercising or practicing, he had left his water bottle on the mat and as it was left unattended, probably somebody has put some substance in it and that is how he has tested positive,” Narsingh’s lawyers were quoted as telling the panel according to the report. Narsingh had filed a complaint at the Sonepat Police Station late on Tuesday, in which he mentioned the name of a junior wrestler based in Delhi suspected to be the saboteur. The accused was later identified as Jitesh, who represented India in junior events and trains at Sushil Kumar’s base of Chhatrasal Stadium in New Delhi. The wrestler from Mumbai had mentioned that the a friend of his saw the accused enter his room on 5 June, the date of which was cited in the NADA hearing on Wednesday, but was not stressed upon, according to the report. The hearing is Narsingh’s last hope for booking a ticket to Rio de Janeiro, where he will have to prove his accusation that his food supplements were sabotaged at the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) Sonipat centre in Haryana. The bronze medal-winner at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships was tested positive for an banned anabolic steroid metandienone on 24 July, which resulted his provisional suspension by the Wrestling Federation India (WFI). Parveen Rana was subsequently named as his replacement by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).