From bitter fights to dope shame, Indian Olympic team's tryst with controversies
Narsingh Yadav's chances of making it to the Olympics will be known on Thursday. The National Anti-Doping Agency's disciplinary panel adjourned its hearing on the dope scandal surrounding the wrestler on Wednesday evening, even as he failed a second dope test and lodged a police complaint against two fellow-grapplers.
Sushil, who is yet to make a formal statement on the matter, put out a cryptic tweet after the controversy broke out.
A day after wrestler Narsingh Yadav was exonerated of doping charges by the National Anti-doping Agency (NADA), its parent world body WADA said that it will review the case.
Former coaches say that it will be a tough call. The WFI faces the tedious dilemma of youth versus experience, rising star up against the country's most celebrated athlete.
Dismisses sabotage angle, saying: "...all in all found the sabotage (s) theory possible, but not probable and certainly not grounded in any real evidence'
The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) Director General Navin Agarwal confirmed that they found two samples taken fromNarsingh Yadav positive for dope.
With Narsingh's participation in serious doubt, Aruneel Sadadekar/Rediff.com spoke exclusively to Sushil Kumar's coach Satpal Singh.
uspended wrestler Narsingh Yadav objected to Sushil Kumar's appointment as a national observer, raising conflict of interest allegations in a letter to the Sports Ministry.
The suspense over wrestler Narsingh Yadav's participation in the Rio Olympic Games was prolonged further after the National Anti-Doping Agency deferred its final verdict on the doping scandal to Monday.
Shuttler P V Sindhu scripted a new chapter in Indian Olympic history with unprecedented feat but the embattled Narsingh Yadav's dreams lay in tatters after being slapped with a four-year doping ban on a bitter-sweet day for the country at the Rio Games.
'The Federation, which is an autonomous body, is the final authority'
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), on Thursday, denied sending any list of Olympic probables, sans Sushil Kumar, to the Indian Olympic Association, insisting that the two-time medallist is not yet out of contention for the Rio Games.
Sports Minister Vijay Goel has hinted that Narsingh Yadav's prospects of participating in the Rio Olympics is virtually over, but said the wrestler will be given a fair chance to defend himself.
Tainted wrestler Narsingh Yadav was exonerated of doping charges by the National Anti-Doping Agency panel, probing the positive tests on his urine samples on Monday. It ruled "there is no negligence on the athlete's part and he is a victim of sabotage".
'I am only saying that whoever between me and Narsingh is better, should represent the country at the Olympics' 'Trails took place in the past, before the 1992 and 1996 Olympics. Last time, there was no competition, thus the trails did not take place. There was no one to challenge me in my weight category last time. But this time, the situation is different'
Dope-tainted Narsingh Yadav admitted that his career would be over if the four-year ban imposed on him by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) is not reviewed and said that the country should take up his case as India lost out on an Olympic medal in wrestling.
If a keen tussle for a ticket to Rio Games between double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar and rising star Narsingh Yadav grabbed headlines off the mat, the youngsters showed the sport's bench strength in a country that gave the world the much-touted Pro Wrestling League this year.
Continuing to back dope-tainted wrestler Narsingh Yadav, a top Wrestling Federation of India official on Friday claimed the 74-kg freestyle wrestler would have clinched the silver medal had he taken part in the Rio Olympics instead of being banned for four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
'Narsingh is a very senior wrestler and has done a fabulous job by sealing the Olympics berth.' 'But he needs to understand that the berth belongs to the country and not any individual.'
Refusing to budge from its stance, the Wrestling Federation of India floated a new theory on Tuesday, alleging that some junior officials of the Sports Authority of India and National Anti Doping Agency are responsible for Narsingh Yadav being handed a four-year ban for doping.
When the Delhi high court dismissed the petition of Sushil Kumar, Twitter erupted.
Caught in the middle of a controversy over arranging a selection trial to choose between Sushil Kumar and Narsingh Pancham Yadav for this year's Rio Olympics, the Wrestling Federation of India is likely to meet on Tuesday to break the deadlock, which is threatening to snowball into a massive furore.
Shuttler PV Sindhu raised serious hopes of breaking India's long-awaited medal quest in the Rio Olympics by storming into the semifinals of the women's singles event with a stunning straight games win over London Games silver medallist Wang Yihan of China.
A relieved Narsingh Yadav has said he is eager to go to the Olympics now and win a medal for the country.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Friday
Despite not having enough evidence to prove the allegations of a sabotage, Narsingh Yadav put up a brave face sounding hopeful that the NADA panel will give a proper verdict on his doping scandal.
His chances of a third successive Olympic appearance hanging in balance, two-time medallist Sushil Kumar will not hesitate in going to Court if his demand for a trial against Narsingh Yadav is not accepted by the Wrestling Federation of India.
Rubbishing rumours that he had engineered the dope fiasco surrounding Olympic-bound Narsingh Yadav, a fuming Satpal Singh said it was wrong to point fingers at him and his protege without any proof. A fuming Satpal said the allegations against him were absolutely baseless and was ready to face any inquiry.
India's male freestyle wrestlers started their Olympics campaign on a disappointing note, as both young Amit Kumar and Narsingh Pancham Yadav crashed out of their respective categories in contrasting fashion, at the ExCel centre in London, on Friday.
This is the first time that an Indian wrestler has earned an Olympic berth with a medal at the World Championship.
Sushil Kumar said that the Wrestling Federation of India has gone back on its words to conduct a trial in men's 74kg freestyle category.
It was another productive day for Indian wrestlers at the Commonwealth Games on Saturday, Yogeshwar Dutt and Narsingh Panch Yadav winning gold medals in the 60 and 74 kg freestyle category respectively. While Yogeshwar simply outclassed his Canadian opponent, James Mancini, 9-2 (3-1, 6-1), Narsing scored a hard-fought 4-0 victory over South Africa's Richard Addinall.
Sushil Kumar later ruled himself out of the running to take Narsingh's spot at Rio.
'I didn't go for the World Championships to see someone else take my place at the Olympics.'
We asked youngsters in Mumbai a few questions on the Olympics.
Widely expected to clinch one last medal for India at the Rio Games, London Olympics bronze-medallist Yogeshwar Dutt is trying hard not to let the Narsingh Yadav episode affect him ahead of the men's 65kg freestyle event on Sunday. A day after an unassuming Sakshi Malik became the heartthrob of the nation by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal when she opened India's tally with a bronze, doping cloud began to haunt the grapplers again as Narsingh was slapped with a four-year ban for testing positive for banned substance.
Star wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt secured an Olympic quota place for India after making the final round of the men's 65kg freestyle event on the second day of the Asian Olympic Qualification in Astana on Friday.
Wrestling Federation of India, on Friday, conceded that it was not being able to convince the Court of Arbitration for Sports' panel that grappler Narsingh Yadav was a victim of conspiracy and sabotage, and that was why he lost the case and was ejected from the Rio Olympics with a four-year ban.
The Delhi HC had issued a notice to the Wrestling Federation of India and the Centre in reply to the plea by wrestler Sushil Kumar over his selection battle with Narsingh Yadav for the Rio Olympics.
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