New Delhi: With the wrestling fraternity in shock over the doping fiasco, Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Singh on Monday backed Narsingh Yadav, whose Olympic participation is under a cloud, saying that the wrestler was a victim of “criminal conspiracy”.
“The federation believes Narsingh is innocent. Injustice has been meted out to him and we are hopeful he will get justice. Narsingh’s record is clean. He is someone who never shied away from dope tests,” Brij Bhushan said here.
“Among the 120 Rio-bound athletes, only one sportsman fails a dope test and his training partner as well, which clearly indicates conspiracy. The government is taking it seriously and a committee has been formed to look into the matter, they will take an action soon,” he added.
Narsingh and his sparring partner Sandeep Tulsi Yadav, a 2013 Worlds medallist in Greco Roman category, had tested positive for methandienone — an anabolic steroid (nandralone group) which helps athlete train harder and build muscle.
The president also revealed that someone tried to drug Narsingh’s food in the mess at the Sonepat SAI centre. “The cook revealed that on the night of July 5, someone had tried to mix drug in Narsingh’s food while he was away. Had Narsingh made a complaint then, he would not faced the current embarrassment. And the July 5 matter was suppressed then and there,” he said, adding that a “criminal investigation” should happen in the case.
Brij Bhushan said in a written complaint to the federation on July 19, the wrestler had also mentioned names of the “conspirators”, which they have forwarded it to the ministry.
“He has mentioned name of one SAI lady official in Sonepat, one coach and a wrestler in the letter,” he revealed. Asked if Sushil Kumar’s camp might be involved in the fiasco, Brij Bhushan chose to stay silent.
“There might be a third party who is making the matter between the parties worse. Anything can happen.” Meanwhile, Narsingh demanded a CBI probe into the scandal. “There should be a CBI inquiry. The whole episode relating to my selection had gone to court. There was a CID report that my life is under threat. All this makes it clear, I have been framed so that I am stopped from going to Rio,” Narsingh said.
