Four-year DOPE ban on Bajrang Punia is not politically motivated | Opinion

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They say, don't mix sports and politics. Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, now better known for his nexus with the Congress party and farmers protests, has done exactly that by saying the four-year dope ban slapped on him by the NADA (National Anti-Doping Agency) is "politically motivated."

Having gone through the ADDP (Anti Doping Disciplinary Panel) order, dated November 26, it is clear Bajrang Punia is guilty. He had refused to provide a urine sample during the national campo held in March 2024, in Sonepat, Haryana. A month later, Bajrang Punia had been suspended by NADA on April 23, which the UWW (United World Wrestling) was also well aware of.

"In the present case, since the athlete had been provisionally suspended, the ADDP accordingly holds that the athlete's period of his ineligibility for the period of four years shall commence from the date on which the notification was sent, 23.04.2024.

"Needles to say, on that account, on account of the lifting of the provision al suspension, for the period from 31.05.2024 to 21.02.2024 shall not be credited into the total period of ineligibility of four years," the order said.

In effect, it means Bajrang Punia cannot return to wrestling till April 22, 2028, which is as good as over. The Los Angeles Olympics are also in 2028. For the average sports fan who follows wrestling and its nuances, Bajrang being slapped a four-year ban is important.

The celebrated wrestler is now seen spewing venom on the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), former president of the Wrestling Federation of India Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and many more 'netas.'

His only defence, a lame one, is that he was supporting the women wrestlers in their street protest against the wrestling establishment's officials, who were 'harassing' the women wrestlers. Firstly, that matter is sub judice. Second, Bajrang contests that NADA used expired 'testing kits' as a result of which he has been refusing to provide his urine samples.

He needs to know, despite hiring a well-known sports lawyer for his defence, Bajrang Punia is guilty and the UWW (UWW) is also aware of all his antecedents. This was not the first time he had refused to give a sample during the camp or trials, according to some SAI officials mykhel spoke to.

It is well known, Bajrang has avoided it in the past as well. In the present context, to slam a political party and say he has been victimised does no hold water. If Bajrang had spoken to a wire service on Wednesday, then the current Haryana sports minister has also retorted by saying the NADA is right in doing its job in the war against doping.

Just to jog the readers' memory, when a month back Sakshi Malik had releases her biography, WITNESS, she had also spoken of how the whole wrestling protests had taken a wrong turn. She had also hinted subtly at Bajrang getting an unfair advantage when he went for the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023 minus trials and flopped miserably.

That was an unfair advantage granted to him at that time because the people running the sport in the country, notably the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the adhoc committee (now disbanded) had given Bajrang that privilege. He was an embarrassment at the Asian Games.

What he did earlier this year was also well known where he was hobnobbing with Congress 'netas' and spending less time on the mat. And when the first suspension was slapped on him, it became clear he would not get an 'advantage' vis a vis selection for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Back to the present, before the Haryana state assembly elections, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, now a sitting MLA had joined the Congress. Bajrang did not get a ticket to contest the elections and he was assigned a role to be speaking with farmers.

It is well-known, when the infamous farmers protests had led to massive disruptions last year, Bajrang was seen on the Singhu border as well. That's what he was doing when he should have been spending time training at the SAI centre.

If anyone has exploited the system, it is Banjrang Punia. He got many advantages. Now that he has been called out as a 'dope cheat' for refusing to provide a urine sample, he is crying foul. There is 'no politics' in the hearings which took place. A copy of the ADDP order is in possession of mykhel, which makes it clear why Bajrang has been censured.

On a happier note, the sport of wrestling is returning to the rails. There are stumbling blocks still being put by a few wrestlers in a court of law in Delhi. However, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has made it clear, there will be no adhoc committee again.

At the same time, the Sports Ministry is also clearing participation of wrestlers for competitions abroad, though there are impediments. The focus is on the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, not Bajrang Punia, an infamous, banned wrestler.