"I have at no stage refused to give my sample for doping control" - Bajrang Punia defends himself after UWW suspension

Bajrang Punia has defended himself after United World Wrestling (UWW) suspended him till the end of 2024.

Last month, the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) announced that Punia was being suspended after he refused to submit a urine sample during the selection trials for Olympic qualifiers at the Sports Authority of India center in Sonipat in March.

Following that, UWW also announced that Punia, until December 31, was “being provisionally suspended” by NADA “for alleged anti-doping rule violation (ADRV).”

In response, the 30-year-old Haryana native took to social media to deny NADA's claims and defend himself. He also stated that the NADA officials refused to explain the use of expired kits and left the venue instead.

“This is to clarify that, I have at no stage refused to give my sample for doping control. On 10 March 2024, when I was approached by alleged doping control officials, I merely reminded them that the last two times they came to collect my sample, they had gotten expired kits once and on the other instance, they had approached me with a single testing kit as opposed to the three testing kits,” he said on a post on X (formerly Twitter)

“I then sought an answer from them as the NADA did not provide an answer to any of my communications demanding an explanation for the same and informed them that I would give my sample upon receiving such an explanation from them. Not only did the doping control officials refuse to provide an explanation, but they did not provide me with any proof on this instance of them carrying proper equipment and merely left from the venue where I was at, claiming it to be a refusal from my end,” he added.

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Bajrang Punia: "I took such a stance solely because of the NADAs actions in the past"

Bajrang Punia previously responded to NADA's suspension by sharing a video showing the expired kits being used for sample collection. After UWW followed NADA's footsteps and suspended him, he stated that the use of expired kits was a "compelling justification" for his actions.

"Even if this incident is treated as refusal, the fact that it was due to NADA using expired kits and not providing an explanation for using them, or giving me comfort, that they had not carried expired kits again, should be considered as a compelling justification," he opined.

Punia, a bronze medallist at the Tokyo Olympics, further stated that he was morally obligated to the wrestling community to hold NADA accountable for its actions.

"I took such a stance solely because of the NADAs actions in the past, which, in the absence of an explanation, could continue a dangerous trend of the use of expired kits or non-compliance with doping control protocol. It is my moral obligation towards the wrestling community and particularly the younger wrestlers, that I exercised here," he added.