International Wrestling Body suspends Bajrang Punia for all of 2024, SAI approves abroad training but star wrestler denies

Star Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia faces a challenging year as after National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), the United World Wrestling (UWW) has also suspended him till the end of 2024. The decision came after NADA handed Punia a provisional suspension for denying to undergo a dope test.

Earlier, NADA provisionally suspended Punia on April 23 for failing to comply with a whereabouts notice on April 18. This means he's barred from competing until the end of 2024.

Surprisingly, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) sanctioned nearly Rs. 9 lakh for Punia's training abroad despite being aware of the NADA suspension.

Punia maintains his innocence, claiming he never refused a doping test.  He simply questioned the Dope Control Officer about expired testing kits.

While Punia hasn't received official communication about the UWW suspension, their system reflects his inactive status, confirmed PTI. This situation casts a shadow over one of India's most decorated wrestlers.

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“Suspended for the following reason until Dec 31, 2024,” reads the update on Bajrang’s profile.

 

“Provisionally suspended by NADO IND for alleged ADRV (Anti-Doping Rule Violation),” was the reason mentioned.

 

Adding another layer of confusion to Bajrang Punia's situation is the recent decision by the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC).  Their meeting minutes from April 25th reveal that they approved Rs. 8,82,000 (plus airfare) for Punia's proposed training trip to Dagestan, Russia, starting May 28th.

This approval is particularly interesting because Punia's initial proposal requested a 35-day training trip beginning April 24th.  However, the MOC minutes state that "conflicting travel dates due to his whereabouts failure" caused him to postpone the trip to May 28th.

The sanctioned amount also covers travel expenses for Punia's strength and conditioning coach, Kaazi Kiron Mustafa Hasan, and his sparring partner, Jitender.  This approval by the MOC, despite NADA's suspension, raises questions about communication and potential oversights within the system.

 

As per PTI, neither Sandip Pradhan, Director General of SAI, nor Col. Rakesh Yadav, joint CEO of TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme), responded to calls or messages seeking clarification. However, Bajrang Punia himself confirmed that he had submitted a training proposal for approval by SAI.  The lack of response from key officials adds to the confusion surrounding this situation.

 

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“I am also surprised that SAI cleared it. I have actually cancelled my plan, I am not going anywhere for training now,” Bajrang said, adding that his lawyer has filed the reply to NADA.

 

The Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) meeting also addressed training plans for other wrestlers.  Sarita Mor, competing in the women's 57kg category, received approval for a training stint in the USA along with her husband and coach, Rahul Mann, starting May 5th. The sanctioned amount for this trip is Rs. 5,96,000.

It's important to note that Anshu Malik has already secured the Paris Olympics quota for the women's 57kg category through the Asian Qualifiers in Bishkek.  Despite this, the MOC also approved Rs. 14,67,000 for Anshu's training trip to Japan with her father and coach, Dharamveer Malik.

The possibility of a final selection event by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) adds another layer of complexity.  If such an event takes place, Sarita would need to win the trials to challenge Anshu's claim to the Olympic quota.

 

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