India’s wrestling hopeful Narsingh Yadav will be in Rio competing in the OIympics’ 74-kg category if he clears dope tests to check if the performance-boosting substance that spiked his drink is out of his system totally. The goodwill with the wrestling federation and the IOC will come in handy to build bridges to ensure his participation. India’s sports authorities have been extremely sympathetic as there is the widespread belief that he was the victim of a conspiracy. This reflects the extreme rivalries in Indian society.
Intriguing as it is, the Narsingh episode isn’t even the top of an iceberg in the world of sport, where many take all kinds of drugs to gain a slender edge over the competition. The history of drug-taking is ancient and sordid and it has already hit the Rio Games hard with many Russians kept out of athletic events over state-supported drug programmes and organised cheating.
The last thing the Games wants to risk is an athlete with traces of drugs competing. However sentimental we may be about our wrestler, innocent in this case, we may have to accept that Narsingh may not be able to hit the mat if everything doesn’t go his way during the WADA test. Indian sport has become so riddled with drug-taking that we can hardly take a moral stand. A silver lining would be if the wronged Narsingh goes on to win a medal in Rio.
