Narsingh Yadav banned: Distraught parents allege conspiracy, appeal to PM Modi

Varanasi, Aug 19 (ANI): Distraught by the four year ban on Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav, family of the dope-tainted grappler on Friday 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. "I just got to know that my son got banned again. I don't why it is happening to my son. My son is innocent and he has not done anything wrong. NADA decided in favour of my son, I don't know why WADA is giving hardships to my son," Narsingh's mother Bhulna Devi told ANI. "I have no words. I am shocked to hear the news. My son has been preparing for four years. Not getting to play in the Olympics, in spite of preparing, is equivalent to getting paralysed," Pancham Yadav, the wrestler's father said. "I appeal to PM Modi is to let my son play again," he added. In a major setback for the Indian contingent at the Rio Olympics, Narsingh Yadav was banned for four years after Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) overturned the clean chit given to him by the National Anti-Doping Agency's (NADA) over doping charges. On Tuesday, Narsingh's Rio campaign hit a major roadblock when the World Anti-Doping Agency (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 25 June and 5 July 2016. 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. While 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 4-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 25 June 2016 shall be disqualified, with all resulting consequences (including forfeiture of medals, points and prizes)," the panel added. (ANI)