Disciplinary doping panel

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh: Tokyo Olympic Games bronze medallist wrestler Bajrang Punia has been suspended for four years for refusing to provide a urine sample for anti-doping testing during the national team trials in March 2024. According to reports, Punia was earlier handed a provisional suspension and following a hearing, the ban was confirmed as per Article 10.3.1 of NADA’s Anti-Doping Rules, which relates to deliberately avoiding a dope test, which is deemed as an anti-doping rule violation.

Punia had challenged his provisional suspension, which was imposed on April 23, 2024, with NADA’s Anti-Disciplinary Doping Panel (ADDP) and got it revoked in May 2024, pending a formal notice of charge. NADA eventually served a formal notice on June 23, 2024. After written submissions from Punia and hearings held on September 20 and October 4, the ADDP ruled in favour of NADA and ordered the enforcement of a four-year ineligibility period starting April 23, 2024.

With the United World Wrestling (UWW), the sport's world governing body, also suspending Bajrang in April, the Indian wrestler will not only be unable to participate in events but also can't take up coaching roles till the end of the suspension period.