Rio 2016: Narsingh's fate hangs in balance

As the weigh-in for the 74-kg freestyle bout starts taking place on Thursday, the World Anti-Doping Agency will be sitting in front of Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Rio and press for a four-year ban against Narsingh Pancham Yadav of India.

If Narsingh is censured, for which possibility is high, medal-less Indian contingent at the Games will have no place to hide themselves.

Going by what the top officials accompanying the contingent has been saying off the record, Narsingh in all probability will be "thrown out the Games Village" for all the foolishness that has been committed by "politicians" ruling Wrestling Federation of India.

People in the know of things a day before his hearing told dna that "it was best for the WFI to leave the 'tainted' wrestler at home and let his replacement Praveen Rana compete here in the 74kg category".

This is also not the first time WADA has dragged India to the CAS. One should remember how WADA pressed with CAS six years back in a case against four Indian women relay runners. And then also the two-year ban was converted to four-year by CAS simply as NADA failed to do the same on its part.

Pressure from the 'top'

Fingers are now being pointed at each other as "who was instrumental in forcing NADA to five clean chit to Narsingh?"

Knowing well that WADA has a zero tolerance policy towards drugs cheats, ADDP (anti doping disciplinary panel) of NADA has blatantly ignored several factors after being pressure from the "very top".

People in know are now opening saying that "strings were pulled at the top level and there were instructions from political corridors of power to get Narsingh exonerated".

Take for example, the allegation initially were that Narsingh's food had been contaminated by a rival wrestler at the SAI centre in Sonepat. But, a different version came later when it was attributed to his isotonic drink which was said to be laced with steroid methandienone.

WADA has said to have gone gone through all papers relating to Narsingh before appealing in CAS, and it was found out that there has been a procedural lapse as the hearing did not allow the NADA lawyer to cross-examine the SAI cooks who were produced as witnesses.

Even before Narsingh was called to Rio, CAS has been working overtime to dispose cases like him on daily basis. There are no emotional appeals being heard here as facts before WADA are clearly not in India's favour.

"Narsingh spoke of sabotage and conspiracy. But WADA says that it's up to athlete to take care of his food and drinks," said a senior Indian official.

WADA has always taken on dope taints strongly and has never let anyone off the hook. The current case of Russia is fine example where over 100 athletes were stopped altogether from taking part in the Games.

One should not forget that just before the Athens Games in 2004, two of the Indian weightlifters were thrown out of Games Village for failing the dope tests and packed back to India.

There has been discrepancies from Day One (July 18) in Narsingh's defense. His story has changed many a times. After claiming that his food was spiked, he then alleged in his affidavit that it was his amino drink which was contaminated.

NADA also gave benefit of doubt to Narsingh knowing well that Article 2.1 of WADA's anti-doping rules states: "It is each athlete's personal duty to ensure that no prohibited substance enters his or her body. Athletes are responsible for any prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers found to be present in their samples." In other words, Narsingh has admitted that "he has failed to be careful about what he was eating".

And how could no one see the conspirator is another big hole in Narsingh's theory. Amidst the presence of so many athletes and coaches during the national camp, how could someone slip in to lace someone's drink in such huge crowd.

Thursday holds answer to all these claims!