New Delhi: Narsingh Yadav's chances of representing India at the upcoming Olympics might have diminished further after a second failed dope test but the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) is still hopeful of a favourable verdict by the NADA panel, saying that his lawyers on Wednesday presented a strong case.
"Narsingh's lawyers have presented strong arguments in his favour in front of the NADA committee. They have filed a 600-page affidavit. The panel took note of the arguments and considered the points made by the lawyers. Narsingh and his lawyers seem to be happy with the way things went at the hearing today," WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh told PTI.
"The application on the second dope test (taken on July 5) that has also turned out to be positive was also submitted," said Singh.
NADA will be put forward its argument on Thursday, following which a decision on the matter is likely to come out.
During the hearing that lasted three and half hours, Narsingh and his battery of lawyers presented their side of the story in front of the NADA committee and pleaded innocence.
Although Narsingh’s food supplements, which were claimed to be tampered with, are found be perfectly fine, a teenage wrestler suspected to have spiked his food was identified and is being questioned.
"The lawyers also told the NADA panel about the suspected teenager," the president said.
It has been learnt that brother of wrestler Sumit, who trains at Chhatarsaal, has allegedly spiked Narsingh’s food. Earlier on Wednesday Narsingh filed an FIR at the Sonepat Police Station naming two fellow wrestlers, one of them a 17-year-old, and persisted with his demand for a CBI probe into the scandal.
The WFI on Tuesday named Narsingh’s replacement Praveen Rana in the squad for the Rio Games, so that India has a representation in 74kg category.
"If Narsingh is proved innocent, we will have the category with us and will be able to fight his case to send him to Rio. Narsingh is one of our brightest medal prospects at," Singh said.
Narsingh had tested positive for banned anabolic steroid methandienone, following which he cried foul and said it was a conspiracy against him.
