In a completely baffling turn of events, the Indian shot putter Inderjeet Singh has come up with a new statement regarding the doping scandal he was caught up in shortly before the commencement of the Rio Olympics. In the statement that follows, Singh alleges that he was not given fair treatment and has issued a plea asking the Prime Minister of India for help in ensuring that justice is done to him.
A part of the Sports Ministry's Target Olympic Podium Scheme that aims to target and nurture potential Olympic medallists, Singh's reputation as the hero of the Asian Athletics Championships took a serious hit after he became the second Olympian to be shrouded in the murky clouds of a doping scandal.
From the very beginning, Singh has denied the allegations even though his A Sample tested positive in an out-of-competition dope test. This announcement came days after wrestler Narsingh Pancham Yadav was implicated in a similar dope scandal.
Also watch: Watch: Inderjeet Singh breaks down on national television, alleges conspiracy behind failed dope test
Discrepancies over the entire issue can be found if one bothers to dig a little deeper. Senior Sports correspondent, G Rajaraman earlier broke the news on Twitter and pointed out some inconsistencies in the trial that Inderjeet Singh has been put through.
“Baffling development in the Inderjeet Singh doping case. The same sample returned negative & positive. NDTL has some explaining to do,” the journalist tweeted. According to Rajaraman, the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) released an unverified result of the tests conducted on Inderjeet's sample while it was still going on. NADA and the NDTL might have some explaining to do over this disparity of accounts.
The Analytical Report of the A Sample submitted on June 29 earlier this year bearing a sample code 6172967 was concluded as having “no banned substances”. The report was signed and authenticated by the NDTL Scientific Director dated July 11. Another Analytical Report of the A Sample bearing the exact same sample code was found to contain traces of banned substances. This report was signed by the same Scientific Director dated Aug 4, 2016.
NADA's Director General Navin Agarwal has refused to acknowledge a discrepancy and has justified the two contrasting analytical reports saying that the second test was a more thorough one that was conducted.
"Where is the discrepancy? The NDTL can give two reports, one preliminary and the other final. The preliminary report may say there was no banned substance. It (the preliminary) is a test of limited scope. It may not detect some substance. The final test may detect banned substances because it's a more detailed analysis and more sophisticated," Agarwal claimed.
Meanwhile, Inderjeet Singh has stuck to the story that there has been a deep conspiracy against him to prevent his participation at Rio. He was widely hailed as one of India's best chances at a medal. Needless to say, India's medal tally may have suffered a serious blow with his exclusion from the contingent.
Interestingly, the Athletics Federation of India had made it known to Inderjeet via an e-mail that the results of the tests conducted on June 29 were negative. It was on July 25 that the Punjab-born athlete was told of his failed dope test.
If speedy investigations are carried out in this case and Inderjeet is cleared of all dope allegations, he may still be able to participate in his event at Rio which does not begin until August 18. Chances of that happening are virtually impossible but the shotputter has not given up hope.
"I am still hopeful of taking part in the Olympics and want to make the country proud with my performance. I appeal to the Prime Minister to look into my case. I hope just like in the case of Narsingh Yadav, I will get justice and will be able to take part in the Olympics," he said.
The Anglian Medal Hunt Company (AMH) that supports Singh has promised to do all in its power to ensure that justice is meted out to Inderjeet.
“we will try to build up pressure through the media first to expedite his case so that he can take part in the Olympics,” Manish Bahuguna, the head of AMH said.
