Who failed India at Rio? Narsingh Yadav or his ‘compatriots’?

Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav has been banned for four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) for failing dope tests. Yadav, who hails from Haryana, was given a clean chit by the National Anti-Doping Agency despite testing positive for anabolic steroids last month. Narsingh Yadav, who was due to take part in 74kg men’s freestyle wrestling on August 19, had alleged foul play by his rivals.

Narsingh Yadav’s journey to the Rio Olympics was challenged at every juncture be it his dope test failures or his contemporary Sushil Kumar’s appeal at the Delhi High Court for fair trial. Even after receiving support from Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for Rio, Narsingh failed to take part at the 2016 Olympics.

Here’s what conspired against his Rio dream:

• Narsingh Yadav was first tested on June 2 at the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) Sonepat centre where his urine sample turned out to be clean.
• NADA officials again conducted a test on the wrestlers aiming for Rio on June 25. Yadav’s blood samples came out clean but metadienone—a banned anabolic steroid was detected in the urine.
• The National Anti-Doping Agency again conducted a random dope test on July 5 at the SAI’s Sonipat centre. Yadav’s ‘A’ sample was tested positive for methandienone, a banned anabolic steroid.
• Later, the wrestler asked for his ‘B’ sample test, which also turned out to be positive. Narsingh Yadav was personally present when sample ‘B’ was opened, according to the NADA officials.
• Narsingh asked for another chance and alleged that his food and drinks were spiked by his rivals.
• On August 1, NADA exonerated Narsingh Yadav from all doping charges calling him “victim of sabotage”.
• On August 16, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for sports to ban Indian wrestler from taking part in 74 kg category in Rio.
• On August 18, CAS overturned NADA’s decision and banned the Indian wrestler for four years.

After CAS’s verdict, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said that the Indian wrestler was defeated by his own “compatriots” at Rio.

“It’s not a just loss for Narsingh at the Court of Arbitration for Sports but he was beaten by his compatriots who did not want to let him compete at the Olympics and not by his opponents,” IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta told PTI.

Demanding a CBI probe into the matter, Mehta said, “We must go deep into the matter and the government should initiate a CBI inquiry into the matter. It’s not a small thing, it’s plaguing our country’s sport and we must nip this in the bud.

“Days after he won the battle at the Delhi High Court, a phone call came from his SAI centre in Sonipat about some doping activities, the raid happened and his sample was found positive. It cannot be sheer coincidence.”