GUWAHATI: The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has handed a four-year suspension on Tuesday, November 26 to Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia after he refused to provide a urine sample during the selection trials for the national team on March 10. The suspension follows an earlier provisional suspension on April 23, which was later revoked in May after Punia appealed.
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However, after further proceedings, NADA issued a formal notice on June 23. After hearings held in September and October, the Anti-Disciplinary Doping Panel (ADDP) ruled that Punia's actions warranted the four-year ban.
As per reports, the Tokyo Games bronze medallist and prominent wrestler’s suspension will prevent him from competing in any international tournaments and will also affect any potential career as a coach abroad. The ineligibility period is set to begin from April 23, though time spent under provisional suspension (from May 31 to June 21) will not be counted towards the total suspension.
Punia has maintained that his refusal to provide the sample was not a deliberate act of defiance but a demand for clarification from NADA regarding expired testing kits used during a previous doping control in December 2023. He claimed that NADA's lack of response and unaddressed concerns led to a breakdown of trust.
However, NADA asserted that Punia’s refusal was intentional, and accused him of a "deliberate and intentional" disregard for his responsibilities as outlined in the Anti-Doping Rules. The agency also emphasised that the chaperone had clearly instructed him to provide the sample, but Punia failed to comply.
