The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has suspended Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia for four years due to his refusal to provide a urine sample during a dope test on March 10, 2024. This decision follows a series of events marked by disputes, appeals, and hearings involving the athlete and doping authorities.

Timeline of Events

  • On April 23, 2024, NADA provisionally suspended Bajrang for refusing to comply with doping protocols.

  • The United World Wrestling (UWW) also suspended him following this decision.

  • Bajrang appealed, leading to the revocation of his provisional suspension by NADA’s Anti-Disciplinary Doping Panel (ADDP) on May 31, pending further investigation.

  • NADA issued a notice of charge on June 23, which Bajrang challenged on July 11.

  • Hearings were held on September 20 and October 4, resulting in the final suspension order.

  • The ADDP ruled that Bajrang’s actions violated Article 10.3.1 of the Anti-Doping Rules, leading to a four-year ineligibility period starting April 23.

 

Bajrang argued that he never outright refused to provide a sample but requested clarification on why expired kits were used during an earlier test. He accused NADA of failing to address his concerns, which created mistrust in the doping control process.

In contrast, NADA maintained that its officials had followed proper procedures and accused Bajrang of deliberately refusing to provide a sample, violating his responsibilities under the Anti-Doping Rules.

The four-year suspension bars Bajrang from competitive wrestling and coaching opportunities abroad. His suspension timeline excludes the brief period between May 31 and June 21, when the provisional suspension was lifted.

Bajrang has consistently stated that his stance was not an outright refusal but a call for accountability from NADA regarding its use of expired kits. He further alleged that his suspension was influenced by his involvement in protests against the former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Despite his arguments, NADA concluded that his actions demonstrated a disregard for anti-doping responsibilities which led to the suspension. The suspension adds a significant change to Bajrang’s wrestling career, raising broader questions about athlete-doping authority relations and trust in the process.