That wrestler Narsingh Yadav has been cleared of doping charges and in all probability will now be able to participate in the Rio Olympics is of course great news for the sportsman, his fans and indeed his country. Yadav is one of India's strongest contenders for a medal, and the doping charges that threatened his participation was, no doubt, a major setback.
Now that these issues have been resolved, and Yadav is on track for Rio, there is reason enough for celebrations.That said, before we put the matter behind us, it is imperative to look deeper and get to the bottom of the controversy. Remember that while Yadav has been cleared, the fact that a banned substance was found in his system still stands.
The National Anti-Doping Agency had cleared him on the grounds that till june 2 all his tests were clear, and he wouldn't have benefitted from taking the performance enhancer (as this paper had pointed out earlier), that he knew full well would be found in his system in the multiple drug tests that he would be facing before and during the games, so late in the day. In other words, while NADA has cleared Yadav, it has clearly pointed towards sabotage. Notably, There were concerns that Yadav's well-being may be at risk when he went to the camp at Sonepat, and he was in fact given police security.
These concerns were primarily related to his selection for the Rio games which had left some of his rivals deeply unhappy. But these case-specific details notwithstanding, the matter needs to be investigated, not only for Yadav who had been alleging sabotage since day one, but for the sake of Indian sports in general. No doubt, doping is a widespread problem that is rampant is many other countries as well but it is also one that is taken seriously by international authorities. India cannot afford to take this issue lightly.