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NEW DELHI, Nov 27, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Indian Olympic medal-winning wrestler
Bajrang Punia, who took part in headline-grabbing protests last year, has
been banned for four years for avoiding a doping test.
Punia, 30, who won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, had been provisionally
suspended for refusing to provide a urine sample to national anti-doping
agency (NADA) officers in March.
Punia contested the charges and the suspension was initially lifted, but he
has since been handed a ban, according to a NADA statement on Tuesday.
Punia has maintained his innocence, saying he did not refuse testing but was
wary of what he said was an expired kit that officials brought to take his
sample.
He took part in a sit-in protest in New Delhi last year against the then
chief of the Wrestling Federation of India, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a
lawmaker from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party.
Singh is being tried on accusations of groping female athletes and demanding
sexual favours from them -- charges he denies.
Punia alleged the testing ban was part of Singh's revenge for his protests.
Punia, along with fellow protest wrestler and Olympian Vinesh Phogat, have
since joined the opposition Congress Party.
The World Anti-Doping Agency says India recorded the world's highest number
of drug cheats in 2022 -- the latest year for which figures are available.
India was the only country to have more than 100 positive results, with
countries that tested more athletes such as China, USA and Russia producing
fewer violations.