‘Wada was tipped by someone from India’

The Narsingh Yadav issue refuses to die down even after the Rio Olympics ended last weekend. The Wrestling Federation of India continues to support the dope-tainted grappler and has blamed others for depriving India of a “silver” medal.

“Wada didn’t earlier raise questions after the National Anti Doping Agency clearance (on August 2). They suddenly appealed on August 13 and told the Indian Olympic Association and we were informed on August 15.

“Later, we realised that Wada were tipped by someone in India that Narsingh was cleared under political pressure,” said WFI secretary general V.N. Prasood, while admitting they where caught by surprise in Rio at the last moment and could do nothing about it.

Narsingh was handed a four-year ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sport after he failed to produce any “real evidence” regarding the sabotage theory he had presented at the Nada hearing.

“He could have won a silver as he had defeated top opponents in Spain prior to the Olympics and the draw favoured him. The nation lost a medal here, because of wrongdoings from others,” Prasood fumed, hinting Nada and the Sports Authority of India hadn’t acted responsibly in the case.

Incidentally, Narsingh was invited to the Vishwavijeta Gama Wrestling World Cup launch here on Friday but stayed away.

“He has been banned and we have to follow the rules. As it stands he can’t participate in the World Cup and also I being WFI representative here couldn’t have shared the dais with him,” Prasood said.

“We continue to back him as we believe there was sabotage and some people didn’t want him to participate in the Olympics.

“We appeal for a quick investigation and seek the Prime Minister’s intervention, as we have to appeal for reconsideration of his case within the stipulated time. If the ban stays then WFI will take action against him,” said Prasood.

WFI’s decision to back Narsingh to the hilt cost India spot in the 74kg freestyle. Yadav was suspended a day before his bout, and there was no provision to name a replacement so late.

Earlier, WFI had named Parveen Rana as a stand by but his name was withdrawn the moment Narsingh was given a clean chit by Nada’s disciplinary panel.

“First Nada had cleared him, followed by WFI, IOC, the world body (UWW), and only after getting all the clearances from concerned organisations, IOA sent him for Rio de Janeiro. We had named Rana his replacement earlier as he came second in the trials conducted by us. Sushil Kumar was nowhere in the picture,” he responded when asked why Rana was preferred over Sushil.