With the Senior World Wrestling Championships in Albania approaching this October, wrestler Bajrang Punia has filed a petition with the Delhi High Court contesting his suspension by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
Punia claims that NADA’s actions infringe upon his fundamental rights to practice his profession and earn a livelihood under the Indian Constitution. He argues that if the “arbitrary” suspension is not lifted, he may be “forced to retire.”
On June 21, NADA issued a formal “notice of charge” and suspended Punia for a second time, making him ineligible to train or compete. This decision came after an Anti-Disciplinary Doping (ADDP) panel had earlier revoked the initial suspension, citing NADA’s failure to provide a proper notice of charge.
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The initial suspension was imposed on April 23 following Punia’s refusal to provide a urine sample during selection trials on March 10. This led to concurrent suspensions by NADA and the global governing body, United Wrestling World (UWW).
In his petition, filed through lawyer Vidushpat Singhania, Punia argues that NADA violated testing protocols by using expired test kits and issuing the suspension on unjust grounds. He seeks an order to suspend or overturn the June 21 suspension, asserting that it was issued without properly considering his explanations and evidence.
Punia’s petition highlights that the suspension jeopardizes his participation in the Senior World Wrestling Championships from October 28 to 31, 2024. He warns that if the suspension is not overturned, he may have no option but to retire from wrestling.
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