Everyone saw how he dragged sports into politics...: Haryana Sports Minister on Bajrang's "political conspiracy" remark on NADA ban

Bajrang has alleged "political conspiracy" over a four-year ban by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for violation of the anti-doping rule, stating that it was due to his involvement in protests against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its ex-president Brij Bhushan Singh for alleged sexual assault against women wrestlers.

As per ESPN, the NADA on Tuesday suspended the wrestler for four years as they alleged the Olympic medallist refused to provide a urine sample for a dope test on March 10 during selection trials for the national team.

He was first provisionally suspended on April 23 and later suspended in June, which ended his chances of featuring in this year's Paris Olympics. Following this, United World Wrestling (UWW) had also suspended him. Bajrang had appealed against his provisional suspension, and NADA's Anti-Disciplinary Doping panel (ADDP) had revoked it on May 31 till NADA issues the notice of charge. Then on June 23, NADA served the notice to wrestler of his suspension again.

Bajrang, while speaking to ANI on Wednesday, alleged the involvement of the central government in his four-year ban.

Punia said, "All this is a political conspiracy as we stood by the women wrestlers. I want to say that I am ready to give a sample at any place."

He said that he has been facing such harassment for the past year and that the NADA had previously suspended him provisionally for not providing his urine sample. Punia claimed that contrary to the NADA allegation that he failed to provide a sample for testing during national-level selection trials for the Olympics 2024 and had left the venue, he has proof that he was indeed present at the venue. Further, he said that players cannot be approached for samples while they are competing.

"It is not shocking for me, as I have been facing these things for the past year. NADA had revoked my suspension after my appearance before a panel constituted by them. Now, by constituting another panel, a four-year ban has been imposed on me. NADA is saying that Bajrang did not give a sample during national-level trials and left the venue. I had obtained a medical certificate from the government doctor appointed there. I have all the proofs with time stamps to prove I was present at the venue. It never happens that a sample (for dope test) is taken between bouts during a tournament," said the wrestler.

Punia also demanded answers from NADA, alleging that they use expired doping kits and made accusations that the central government is involved in all this.

"But I want an answer on the expired doping kits. NADA is doing all this as we stood by with the women wrestlers. It is straightforward that the government is involved in this," he signed off.

Now, responding to Bajrang, the Haryana sports minister has said that NADA works as per its rules and regulations and does not work by simply identifying one specific person. He also said that Congress, a party which Bajrang joined ahead of this year's Haryana polls, politically weaponised the protests of wrestlers.

"NADA works as per its rules and regulations; it does not act by identifying one specific individual. What direction did the protest head to? khel mein rajneeti hui, rajneeti mein khel hua. How he dragged sports into politics; everyone saw that. Congress attempted to politically weaponise it. I think there should be no politics in sports. It affects both society as well as sportspersons," said the minister.

As per NADA, the wrestler had refused to provide his urine samples to the governing body as he had objected to the usage of allegedly "expired kits" by NADA and wanted a reply from the governing body regarding the same. Despite being warned by the Doping Control Officer (DCO) of the consequences of not submitting his urine sample, Bajrang still did not do the needful, added NADA.

Following the NADA suspension in April, Punia had tweeted in May that he had "never refused" to give his sample to NADA officials. The wrestler took to social media platform X to give a detailed explanation of the events that unfolded.

"This is to clarify that, I have at no stage refused to give my sample for doping control. On 10 March 2024, when I was approached by alleged doping control officials, I merely reminded them that the last two times they came to collect my sample, they had gotten expired kits once and on the other instance, they had approached me with a single testing kit as opposed to the three testing kits," Punia wrote on X.The Olympic medallist went on to state that he asked NADA for clarification but is yet to hear from them. He also claimed that the officials did not provide him with any proof that they carried "proper equipment" and left the venue claiming that he had refused to give them samples.

"I then sought an answer from them as the NADA did not provide an answer to any of my communications demanding an explanation for the same and informed them that I would give my sample upon receiving such an explanation from them. Not only did the doping control officials refuse to provide an explanation, but they did not provide me with any proof on this instance of them carrying proper equipment and merely left from the venue where I was at, claiming it to be a refusal from my end," Punia stated.

According to the dope-collecting officer's report, Punia left even though he was informed that his refusal would result in a warning for breaking anti-doping rules.

Punia claimed that he had stayed for an hour at the venue after the officials approached him for the doping test. He also said that the officials left in the middle of the trials to "record" his refusal rather than accompanying him till he submitted his medical report to the competition manager.

"I continued to be at the venue as I had another bout scheduled for 3/4 position. After my semi-final bout, I met the SAI doctor at the venue for treatment regarding a knee injury suffered during the semi-finals of the wrestling trials. I only left the venue about an hour after the alleged doping control officials approached me, contrary to how it has been portrayed that I left immediately. In fact, the dope controlling officer should have accompanied me till I submitted my medical report to the competition manager as per protocol, rather than leaving in a hurry in the middle of the trials, to record my refusal," Punia added. (ANI)