Two days after Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav failed a dope test conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) of India on Tuesday replaced him with Praveen Rana in the 74kg category of wrestling for Rio Olympics.
Narsingh was earlier picked ahead of the double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar to represent India at the Rio Games in 74kg Freestyle category. After he failed the dope test, he was handed a provisional suspension and was virtually ruled out of next month’s Olympics.
The Freestyler, Rana, had earlier won a gold medal in the 74 kg weight category at the Dave Schultz Memorial wrestling tournament in USA in 2014 and gold in 70kg category wrestling tournament in Italy in 2015.
Rana is named as replacement but if Narsingh is found innocent by NADA, then he can be back. But, even if Narsingh is cleared he can’t compete if traces of dope still in his body.
WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had said on Monday that the federation feels that injustice has been done to Narsingh and that he hopes the committee does justice.
“The name of replacement date has already passed and I think Narsingh should represent India in 74kg Freestyle Category wrestling at Rio,” said Singh.
After failing the dope test, Narsingh, in an exclusive interview to CNN-NEWS 18, had said that he has never been into doping and that this is a conspiracy against him.
A day after Narsingh failed the dope test, another Indian wrestler, Sandeep Tulsi Yadav, who was Narsingh’s roommate at SAI (Sports Authority of India), Sonepat, and a bronze medallist at the 2013 World Championship also failed a dope test.
