Wrestler Bajrang Punia has accused the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) of targeting him, alleging they are attempting to end his sporting career. Punia was suspended by NADA for the second time on June 24th after receiving relief from the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP). The ADDP lifted the initial suspension because NADA had not officially charged him with doping by serving a formal notice. Following this, NADA issued the notice and suspended him again.
Punia claims that NADA’s actions are an attempt to silence him for questioning their procedures. The wrestler was initially suspended after refusing to provide a sample during the selection trials held in Sonepat on March 10th. He lost the trials and subsequently missed out on the chance to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
Punia, a multiple-time World Championship medalist, maintains that he never refused to provide a sample. Instead, he sought an explanation for why NADA sent an expired kit for sample collection in December 2023. He has repeatedly questioned NADA’s actions in a series of social media posts.
He specifically points to the expired kit and the actions of an unregistered chaperone who pressured him to provide a sample. He questions why he was pressured to collect samples between two matches when NADA was aware he had limited time to prepare for his next bout.
Despite these concerns, Punia states that he will not go down without a fight. He is determined to challenge NADA’s actions and has vowed to fight for his right to continue his wrestling career. Punia’s lawyer will file a reply to the charges by the July 11th deadline.
The controversy surrounding Bajrang Punia’s suspension has raised concerns about the fairness and transparency of the NADA’s procedures. It remains to be seen how this dispute will be resolved and what impact it will have on Punia’s chances of competing in the Paris Olympics.
