"This sequence of events I do not understand" - Former ad-hoc committee member on NADA and UWW suspending Bajrang Punia

Former wrestler Gian Singh has questioned the sequence of events surrounding Bajrang Punia's suspension by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) and and United World Wrestling (UWW).

NADA suspended Punia on April 23 after he refused to submit a urine sample during the trials at the Sports Authority of India center in Sonipat on March 10. Later, UWW also announced that they were suspending the wrestler until December 31.

Renowned coach Gian Singh, part of the ad-hoc committee that once ran the Wrestling Federation of India, questioned UWW's actions and wondered how the international governing body suspended Punia before the World Anti Doping Association.

"My reaction [to the suspension] was... I wondered when and how it happened. When I made inquiries, I found out that NADA people went to his house in December and the kit they used was expired. He refused to give a sample with the expired kit. He said the same in a post on Twitter," he said. (via NNIS)

"The interesting thing is that instead of WADA following NADA, UWW made the decision to suspend him. They don't suspend him first, instead, it's UWW who does it. This sequence [of events] I do not understand," he added.

---

Bajrang Punia: "I have at no stage refused to give my sample for doping control"

On Friday, May 10, Bajrang Punia took to social media to defend himself after NADA and UWW announced their respective suspensions.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Punia denied all allegations and explained that he did not want to give any samples using expired kits. He also accused NADA officials of making false accusations.

“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.

“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.