Tokyo Olympic Video games bronze medallist wrestler Bajrang Punia has stated that the four-year ban imposed on him by the Nationwide Anti-Doping Company (NADA) is the results of “private animosity and a political conspiracy” in opposition to him and accused the nationwide doping physique of “working beneath the federal government’s affect.” Punia has been suspended for 4 years for refusing to offer a urine pattern for anti-doping testing in the course of the trials for the nationwide workforce in March 2024. Afterwards, the United World Wrestling (UWW) has additionally put the World and Olympic medallist wrestler beneath suspension till December 31, 2024.
“This four-year ban is the results of private animosity and a political conspiracy in opposition to me. This motion has been taken as revenge for the motion we led in help of girls wrestlers. In that motion, we raised our voices in opposition to injustice and exploitation,” Punia wrote in a protracted put up on X.
“I need to make it clear that I by no means refused to endure a doping check. When the NADA workforce got here to check me, the doping equipment they’d was expired. This was a severe lapse, and I merely requested that the check be carried out with a legitimate and licensed equipment. This was important for guaranteeing each my well being and the safety of my profession. Nevertheless, this problem was intentionally used as a weapon in opposition to me,” he added.
The 30-year-old, who was one of many main faces of the wrestlers’ protest in opposition to the then Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, additional accused the WFI and the ruling authorities of conspiring in opposition to him for his involvement within the protests in opposition to its former WFI chief.
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— Bajrang Punia (@BajrangPunia) November 27, 2024
“The BJP authorities and the federation have conspired to lure me and destroy my profession. This determination just isn’t truthful however quite an try and silence me and different athletes like me,” he wrote.
Earlier this 12 months in July, Punia had additionally accused NADA of concentrating on him for stating flaws of their system. “NADA’s actions have confirmed that they haven’t any regard for impartiality. Such establishments are working solely beneath the federal government’s affect. The true motive behind this ban is to silence me and cease me from elevating my voice in opposition to injustice.
“Let me make it clear that even when I’m suspended for all times, I cannot cease elevating my voice in opposition to injustice. This battle isn’t just mine; it belongs to each athlete who has been silenced by the system. I’ll enchantment in opposition to this determination and proceed to battle for my rights till my final breath,” the put up concluded.
Bajrang Punia is one in all India’s most embellished wrestlers with a number of medals within the World Championships, Asian Video games, Commonwealth Video games, Asian Championships, and Commonwealth Championships in a decade-long worldwide profession beginning with the 2013 Asian Championships in New Delhi, when he got here into the limelight. He has been awarded the Arjuna Award (2015), Khel Ratna, and Padma Shri in 2019.
In September this 12 months, Punia joined the Indian Nationwide Congress forward of the Haryana Meeting polls together with fellow Olympian Vinesh Phogat, who contested an election from the Jhulana seat and received.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
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