Olympic-bound Indian wrestler Sumit Malik has been provisionally suspended after failing a dope test during the recent qualifiers in Bulgaria, a major embarrassment for the country with just weeks left for the Games in Tokyo.
It marks the second consecutive instance of a wrestler being caught in dope net before the Olympics — the previous being ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics when Narsingh Yadav had failed one and was slapped with a four-year ban.
Malik, the 2018 Commonwealth Games Gold-medallist, had qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in the 125kg category at the World Olympic qualifier event in Sofia which was the last chance for wrestlers to earn quotas.
The 28-year-old’s participation at the main event starting July 23 seems uncertain now.
“We got a mail from the UWW (United World Wrestling) on Thursday that Sumit has failed the dope test and he has been suspended provisionally. The substance found in his sample is said to be 5-methylhexan-2-amine (1,4-dimethylpentylamine),” Wrestling Federation of India secretary Vinod Tomar said. “We are surprised by this. He must have taken it unknowingly, he has a clean track record. Let’s wait for the result of his B sample,” Tomar added.
Non-specified substances are usually anabolic steroids and specified substances are stimulants.
It is clear that by the time hearing takes place and a verdict comes out, he would miss competing at the Olympics.
The only way out for him is if UWW decides to expedite the matter, keeping in mind that Olympics are nearing.