Narsingh Yadav fails

Narsingh Yadav fails to prove sabotage, faces ban
Narsingh Yadav is likely to get a ban of two to four years after his 'A' and 'B' samples tested positive for a banned steroid by NADA.

Narsingh Yadav's Rio Olympic dreams are over. The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has said that the 26-year-old wrestler failed to prove charges of sabotage in the doping row that cost him a ticket to Brazil. (Narsingh Yadav can replace Praveen Rana after NADA green signal, says IOA)
Narsingh will get a ban of two to four years after his 'A' and 'B' samples tested positive for a banned steroid by NADA.The distraught wrestler will get to know his fate on Saturday or Monday.
Narsingh's lawyers have pleaded that the wrestler was a victim of circumstances and urged the panel not to put a ban on his Rio Olympic prospects.

"Argument by NADA was that Narsingh is not eligible for remission which he has been asking," NADA lawyer Gaurang Kanth told the media at the end of Thursday's hearing.

"How the substance entered Narsingh's body could not be well established by them. We have stated that the plea taken by him that he is under no fault and he had been negligent (at the SAI training centre in Sonipat) is not correct and that will not hold any ground."

"The quantum of punishment can be four years, or it can be reduced to two years. Depends on when the judgement will be coming out," he added.

NO PROOF OF SABOTAGE 

However, NADA's counsels have dismissed Narsingh's plea, saying the athlete has failed to establish sabotage or negligence.

The anti-doping agency also said that top athletes like Narsingh must be more careful.

NARSINGH STILL HOPEFUL

A desolate Narsingh, meanwhile, is still hopeful of representing the country at the Rio Olympics, which are scheduled to run from August 5 to 21.

"I am continuing my practice. I am hopeful of going to Rio. Hopefully everything will be clear by Saturday of Monday," he told reporters.

Narsingh's chances of participating in the upcoming Rio Games came under a cloud last Sunday when he returned a positive result for a dope test conducted by the NADA on June 25.

Following this, the Mumbai-based grappler, who was selected to represent the country in the men's 74kg freestyle category ahead of two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, was handed a provisional suspension. (Rio Olympics: A look at India's brightest medal prospects)
He ran into further trouble on Wednesday after it was announced that a second test conducted on July 5 has also returned a positive result.

PRAVEEN RANA NAMED REPLACEMENT

Meanwhile, under pressure from the United World Wrestling, a hesitant Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has named Parveen Rana for the replacement slot in order to preserve India's Olympic quota in the 74kg freestyle category.

WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said that Rana's name was sent on July 25 - which was the last date for naming replacements - to secure the Olympic quota.

"Although Praveen Rana has been named as replacement for Yadav if he gets a clean cheat, I am ready to fight another battle for him to secure his Olympic berth," Singh told IANS.

"Rana's name was sent to secure country's Olympic quota and the proposal was accepted on July 26. If we wouldn't have recommended Rana's name, we would have missed our quota," he added.