Narsingh Yadav doping scandal: Is there a Bulgaria angle to all of this?

Like ghosts from the grave, multiple theories are once again dancing in the mysterious doping case of Narsingh Yadav. All reports point to a conspiracy theory. Again, mysteriously no cases were filed against intruders into the SAI kitchen at Sonepat nor when there was ‘apparently’ someone found lurking near Narsingh’s room at the hostel. Friends talk about Narsingh not taking all these so called intrusions into his ‘Olympic training period’ seriously.

Yet for no apparent reason, his training and foreign exposure trip to Bulgaria is not being put under the scanner or even taken into account. Narsingh is a medal prospect; there’s no doubt about that. To top it all, he has replaced the ‘legend’ of the sport, Sushil Kumar. Dust is bound to fly.

Wrestling Federation of India President, Brij Bhushan Singh does believe that it is the work of a third person out to tarnish the name of Narsingh. “It is not certain that an opponent has done it. It can be done by a third person also and it can be done to spoil the name of the opponent as well.”

Brij comes to the defence of his wrestler and rightfully too. In normal circumstances, federation presidents usually wait for the verdict of the disciplinary panel and then give their version. In any Indian sport, especially wrestling, the emotional quotient is sky high, more so in the case of Narsingh Yadav. “This is the blame put by Narsingh that there has been foul play with him and this is believed by the federation and the whole country. 120 players were chosen and the controversy is following only one from the beginning. He comes with a medal from the world championship and still he has to take rounds of the court. He has a clear record, but an incident takes place that brings him into the limelight so this shows a little game has been played with him.”

But for a second let’s look at the dates on which the dope tests were done. As per Narsingh Yadav’s letter to WFI and NADA, he says, “Dope tests were conducted on him on June 2nd, June 25th and July 5th.” It is only after the dope test of June 2nd that Narsingh went to a training and foreign exposure trip to Bulgaria. It wasn’t a competition. He comes back on June 22nd and the 2nd dope test happens on June 25th. Then the 3rd happens on July 5th.

Now there are multiple scenarios. Anybody could have slipped ‘powder’, a word normally used for dope into his food or supplements. But let’s not overlook Bulgaria. It’s a part of sport that you meet various people abroad, nutrients, doctors, fellow athletes and others pedaling short-cuts to medals at tournaments and of course the Olympics. Did Narsingh take anything there?

Former Director of Medicine at SAI, Dr Chandran feels there are multiple reasons. “I don’t overlook anything,” says Dr Chandran. “The first thing is that tests are positive. The second point is that so close to the Olympics it’s difficult to understand why he did it. I also don’t overlook the Bulgaria angle simply because he might have taken it there. Somebody might have given him something and he didn’t know it was dope.”

Dr Chandran also says that masking agents do clear out the system ensuring that when tests are done, nothing shows up. “But for that, you need a tremendous back up system,” explains Dr. Chandran. “Successful doping is a team game. It can’t be a one man show,” he adds.

Apart from it being a team game, successful doping also requires that athletes are with high qualified labs which regularly do tests and ensure a clean body. All that requires money and a network that is only available to the top athletes in the world; Narsingh didn’t have the money or the network.

Navin Agarwal, Director General at NADA is the only one playing neutral at the moment. “If a sport person has been doping, so he has no right to be there in the Olympic contingent and that we have detected it, it is good for the nation, for the national pride that we as a country do not encourage doping, and we test our own athletes and check them before participating at International events. Imagine if we would have not been able to test them or to check them, and they would have tested adversely at Rio, it would have been a matter of shame for the country. Good that we are able to detect them at an early stage.”

Dr. Chandran agrees that Narsingh Yadav’s case is extremely mysterious. “It’s an issue across the world, not only in India,” says Dr. Chandran. “Every top athlete is viewed with suspicion. Questions are even raised on Usain Bolt that he goes especially to a doctor in Germany who keeps him fighting fit and healthy so that he keeps winning. But Narsingh’s case needs to examined. I believe in every possibility. Yet it bothers me why should an athlete take it so close to the Olympics.”

It will be tragic if Narsingh is a victim of a well-hatched conspiracy; Or of his own momentary fallibility. But till then, the ghosts of multiple theories will have a field day.