The last thing Indian wrestling needed to avoid in the run-up to the Rio Olympics was a ‘controversy’ – and the ‘unwanted negative publicity’ Narsingh Yadav issue generated did not bode well for the grappler but also for the sport in the country. Who on earth would have imagined a hitherto dope-free wrestler being tested positive.
Thankfully, the National Anti-Doping Agency’s (NADA) Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel has considered the ‘sabotage’ element in the said case and given Narsingh the all-clear for his Olympics journey. Of course, securing the go-ahead is the only first step towards Narsingh taking part in the Rio Olympics.
Freestyle wrestling begins in the second week of the Olympics as is the practice; it effectively means Narsingh has a bit of more time on his hands to reach Rio in a bid to get all the clearances for his Olympic participation.
On the positive front, the 2015 World Championship bronze medallist has obtained the go-ahead from the world wrestling body – United World Wrestling (UWW) – to wrestle in the Rio Olympics, two days after NADA had given its all-clear to Narsingh.
So what are the procedural roadblocks that lay ahead of Narsingh now that he has got the approval of NADA and UWW for Olympic participation? Well, it will take some time before the 26-year-old boards the flight to Rio. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has asked NADA to send the case file of Narsingh for a review.
The WADA has the right to appeal against the decision of National Anti-Doping Agency’s (NADA) Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) within 21 days. If WADA appeals against the decision of NADA at the ad hoc division of the CAS, which is specifically constituted to quickly arrive at decisions during the Olympics, it could mean a longer and anxious wait for Narsingh.
Indian wrestling fans would hope that Narsingh gets a quick go-ahead from WADA and boards the flight to Rio so that he can focus on bagging a medal for the country. The WADA response will be waited with bated breath.
