Narsingh Yadav’s chance of making it to the Rio Olympics looks bleaker after Thursday’s final hearing, with National Anti Doping Agency’s (NADA) legal team saying that the wrestler’s camp failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove his sabotage theory. The NADA will pronounce its judgment in the case on Saturday or Monday.
“Basically the argument put forth by the NADA is that he (Narsingh) is not eligible for the remission, which he has been asking for, because he has failed to establish that he did not commit any fault or negligence. And since he has not been able to establish how the banned substance had entered his body, we argued that he should be given punishment,” said NADA’s lawyer Gaurang Kanth.
“Narsingh did not produce the relevant circumstantial evidence that there could have been sabotage as had been claimed by them. They filed an affidavit that his drinks or water was spiked but they did not produce the evidence to prove it to satisfy NADA or WADA Code,” he added.
However, Narsingh’s camp failed to comment on the matter. Yadav’s promoters JSW Sports’ MD Mustafa Ghouse said, “I cannot comment on that. We have to wait till Saturday.”
Despite a decision on his Olympic participation is yet to be ascertained, Narsingh remained hopeful of making it to Rio.
“I have put forward my side of the story in front of the panel. I have told them the truth. Now I will have to wait for the panel’s decision. I am hopeful that the panel will take a right decision,” Yadav told reporters.