NADA revokes provisional suspension of Bajrang Punia

A National Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel has lifted the provisional suspension of wrestler Bajrang Punia on technical grounds.

Bajrang was provisionally suspended on April 23 for allegedly refusing to provide a urine sample for a doping test during the Olympic qualifiers in Sonipat on March 10.

The Disciplinary Committee, comprising Sunny Choudhary, Dr. Rana Chengappa and Abantika Deka, on May 31, found that “the charge notice has not yet been served on the athlete” and ordered that “the provisional suspension of the athlete be lifted pending the decision of NADA to serve the athlete with a charge notice for anti-doping rule violation.”

It was premature to discuss the pros and cons of the case, the panel said, adding that if NADA decided to serve an indictment on the athlete, the case would be scheduled for a final hearing.

In his reply to the April 23 notice, Bajrang, who had already been called for a test by a NADA official on December 13 using an expired test kit, had explained his reasons for refusing to provide his sample by referring to his previous experience and said that he had not received any response to the email he had written to NADA on the issue.

–The end of the week–