At 4pm on Wednesday afternoon Narsingh Yadav will find out what direction his dreams of becoming an Olympian will take. The National Anti Doping Association(NADA) hearing will decide if the Indian wrestler is indeed innocent, like he claims, or if he really did try to cheat the system by consuming banned substances.
As we wait for the result of the hearing, here’s a quick recap of all the facts put forward by Narsingh Yadav’s camp, that could help his case:
1. Clean Doping Record
Narsingh Yadav has never tested positive for a dope test before.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) said that in his 10-year long-career, the 74 kg wrestler had never failed a drug test.
Why would he dope now, when he is so close to the biggest tournament of his career?
2. Never Avoided a Dope Test
The WFI also claimed that Yadav had never shied away from drug testing.
Unlike athlete Inderjeet Singh, who also tested positive in a dope test, Narsingh had never avoided a being tested by National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
Narsingh’s record is clean. He is someone who never shied away from dope tests.Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, President, WFI
If Yadav was intentionally consuming a prohibited drug, why would he willingly appear for a dope test?
3. Alleged Culprit Who Tampered With Food Recognised
Ever since the scandal came into the light, Yadav had repeatedly claimed that the food in his mess at Sonipat Training Center has been tampered with. His claims found further support as his roommate and sparring partner, Sandeep Yadav, also tested positive for same drug, even though he was not training to be in any major event.
News reports on Wednesday further solidified the 26-year-old wrestler’s claim, as the alleged culprit who spiked the wrestler’s food has been identified. He is supposedly the brother of an international wrestler in the super-heavyweight category.
The President of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Brij Bhushan Singh Sharan, did not elaborate, but confirmed that a person had been identified.
Narsingh Yadav has filed an FIR against the person at Sonepat police station.
4. Sample Taken Ahead of Invitational Tournament
When Yadav’s sample was submitted for the dope test, the wrestler was on his way to an invitational tournament in Spain. The tournament was supposed to be a warm-up event for the 2015 World Championship Bronze medallist, of no consequence to his standing in world wrestling.
Why would Yadav take drugs for a warm-up tournament?
5. Weight Gain Drug
Methandienone – the Drug found in the wrestler’s dope sample – is a weight gaining drug. It is an anabolic steroid that is used to increase strength and stamina.
However, Yadav failed his dope test from a sample taken on 5 July. At that time, he was working towards losing weight to be eligible to participate in his category.
Why would the 26-year-old consume a weight gaining drug so close to the Olympics?
These are some of the inconsistencies that point towards food tampering being a real possibility in this case. It remains to be seen whether Narsingh will be vindicated.
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