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Will appeal to the Prime Minister: Narsingh

Last updated on: August 20, 2016 02:10 IST

There's a big lobby involved in this and the names should be out: Narsingh

IMAGE: Wrestler Narsingh Yadav. Photograph: Facebook. .

Banned for four years and disgraced after being ejected from the Olympics Village, dope-tainted wrestler Narsingh Yadav vowed to take his battle to the Prime Minister's Office.

His dream of representing the country in the Games shattered after being slapped with a four-year ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sports for flunking a dope test after WADA challenged the clean chit given to him by the National Anti-Doping Agency, a devastated Narsingh Yadav said he will fight till the end.

"Meri toh naam badnam hui, isse pura desh pe kala dhabba lag gaya hai (My name has been tarnished; not just me, this ban is a blot on India). Chahe mujhe phaasi ho jaye, mein iski chhanbin karwaoonga, din-raat ek kar doonga (Let me be hanged, I will take this to higher courts and will leave no stone unturned)," the 74kg freestyle wrestler said.

"I will appeal to the Prime Minister to investigate this matter thoroughly. The truth must come out, even if we need CBI for that. If I'm the culprit, hang me; I'm ready for it. Do a narco test on me and also the people who are involved," he said.

Narsingh had claimed that his drinks/food were spiked during the pre-Games' training camp in Sonepat by unknown persons, following which the National Anti-Doping Agency exonerated him on the dope charge and allowed him to take part in the Games.

He said such politics mars India's medal prospects in the Olympics.

"There's a big lobby involved in this and the names should be out. It's a matter of country's future in sport. I have become a victim of all this without any fault of mine. All my four years' hardship to win an Olympic medal have gone in vain.

"If I don't get the justice the future for sport will be bleak. Not many will be encouraged to join sport and win medal for India. We ourselves are to be blamed," he claimed.

Narsingh was evicted from the Olympics Village on Friday morning as the ban meant his accreditation and entry was cancelled and he had to be shifted to a hotel from where he would leave for New Delhi.

Without directly pointing fingers at anyone in particular, he said: "It's clear from the series of episodes who all are involved."

Meanwhile, the Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said Narsingh became unconscious on Thursday evening after hearing about the four-year ban imposed on him.

Demanding a CBI inquiry, the WFI president told PTI: "Narsingh behosh ho gaya tha kal, aaj thik hai (Narsingh became unconscious yesterday, he is fine today). We don't want to accuse anyone. Our only demand is a CBI inquiry.

"Everything will become clear after a thorough investigation. All the skeletons will tumble out of the closet once the boy is nabbed. We will press hard for an investigation."

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