Narsingh ban: NADA lawyer says 'expected this decision'

New Delhi, Aug 19 (ANI): Following a four-year ban on wrestler Narsingh Yadav that quashed his hopes of competing in the Rio Olympics, the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) on Friday said that the decision was expected. NADA's lawyer Gaurang Kanth said the World Anti-Doping Agency has upheld the law and added that the embattled grappler's arguments did not help his case. "I think in Narsingh's matter, the evidence which was let by him, his own affidavits and the comments which he had relied upon, didn't really help his case at all. I think the verdict is as expected. I was actually expecting a verdict like this," Kanth told ANI. When asked about the possible revocation of ban, Kanth said, "This is a judgement by the Court of Arbitration for Sports, it's very sad but his fate is almost sealed for the next four years." Distraught by the four-year ban on Narsingh, the family of the dope-tainted grappler has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention into the matter to let their son play in the Olympics. Narsingh's parents said that their son was a victim of conspiracy and urged the Prime Minister to revoke his ban. In a major setback for the Indian contingent at the Rio Olympics, Narsingh was banned for four years after the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) overturned the clean chit given to him by the NADA over doping charges. On Tuesday, Narsingh's Rio campaign hit a major roadblock when the WADA filed an urgent application before the CAS, challenging the decision of NADA to exonerate the 26-year-old grappler following two positive anti-doping tests with methandienone on June 25 and July 5. Earlier this month, the NADA had paved the way for Narsingh to compete in the prestigious quadrennial event after its disciplinary panel ruled that he was a victim of sabotage (food/drink tampering) perpetrated by another competitor. Narsingh, who bagged the quota with a bronze medal finish in last year's World Championships, was scheduled to fight in the 74-kg category on Friday. Delivering the verdict, the CAS ad-hoc division, however, said in a media release that it "did not accept the argument of the athlete that he was the victim of sabotage and noted that there was no evidence that he bore no fault nor that the anti-doping rule violation was not intentional. Therefore, the standard four-year period of ineligibility was imposed by the panel." "The parties were informed that the application was upheld that Narsingh Yadav was sanctioned with a four-year ineligibility period starting today and that any period of provisional suspension or ineligibility effectively served by the athlete before the entry into force of this award shall be credited against the total period of ineligibility to be served. Furthermore, all competitive results obtained by Narsingh Yadav from and including June 25, 2016, shall be disqualified, with all resulting consequences (including forfeiture of medals, points and prizes)," the panel added. (ANI)