Indian protest wrestler given four-year ban for avoiding dope test

NEW DELHI: Indian Olympic medal-winning wrestler Bajrang Punia, who took part in headline-grabbing protests last year, has been banned for four years for avoiding a doping test.

Punia, 30, who won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, had been provisionally suspended for refusing to provide a urine sample to national anti-doping agency (NADA) officers in March. Punia contested the charges and the suspension was initially lifted, but he has since been handed a ban, according to a NADA statement on Tuesday.

Punia has maintained his innocence, saying he did not refuse testing but was wary of what he said was an expired kit that officials brought to take his sample. He took part in a sit-in protest in New Delhi last year against the then chief of the Wrestling Federation of India, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a lawmaker from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party.

Singh is being tried on accusations of groping female athletes and demanding sexual favours from them -- charges he denies. Punia alleged the testing ban was part of Singh’s revenge for his protests. Punia, along with fellow protest wrestler and Olympian Vinesh Phogat, have since joined the opposition Congress Party.

The World Anti-Doping Agency says India recorded the world’s highest number of drug cheats in 2022 -- the latest year for which figures are available. India was the only country to have more than 100 positive results, with countries that tested more athletes such as China, USA and Russia producing fewer violations.