BAJRANG PUNIA PROVISIONALLY SUSPENDED BY NADA AHEAD OF OLYMPIC SELECTION TRIALS
National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) has provisionally suspended Tokyo Olympics medallist Bajrang Punia for not giving dope sample during the trials held at Sonipat in March, a source in the know of developments told IndiaToday.in. Bajrang had refused to give his urine sample during the trials held in Sonipat after he had stormed off the premises when he lost against Rohit Kumar.
Punia left the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre here in a huff after being eliminated. The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) officials tried to collect sample for dope test from Punia but he did not stay back even for third-fourth place bout. Punia had trained in Russia to prepare for the trials, which are being organised by the IOA ad-hoc panel.
Sources in the know have said that Punia will not be able to participate in any tournament or trails till the time his suspension is not lifted and if the charges stays in the hearing he might be barred from participating in the upcoming trails for the Olympics as well.Â
Controversy Timeline
- On 10Â March NADA asked Bajrang to give his sample but Bajrang refused to provide samples.
- NADA had to inform the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that why one athlete hadn't given his sample.
- WADA and NADA had a long conversation in this time of period and after that WADA asked NADA to issue a notice to the player to explain why he refused the test.
- On 23 April, NADA issued a notice to Bajrang Punia asking him to reply till 7 May.Â
- IndiaToday.in has learnt that Bajrang is yet to reply and hence has been provisionally suspended.