There seems to be no end to the mess created in the Indian wrestling system, for one reason or another. Now, as per a report in The New Indian Express, a former World Championship medalist has been suspended for a year, for three whereabouts failures in a year. The 2018 World Championship bronze medalist Pooja Dhanda is the offender and has been banned for a year, from 15th June 2023.
As per NADA, her three failures were recorded in 2022. Dhanda was part of the Registered Testing Pool of NADA, and was informed to file her quarterly whereabouts as well. The report further suggests that she missed filing her whereabouts in quarter 3, and then NADA issued her filing failure letter on July 6, 2022, asking for an explanation in 14 days. Dhanda missed that deadline as well. There were similar failings in quarter four as well.
Meanwhile, the NADA panel said that there was a failure under Article 2.4 of Anti-Doping Rules 2021 whereby the athlete has failed to submit her first whereabouts for Q3 and Q4.
Wrestler Ravi Dahiya makes a solid comeback after long injury layoff in France
With WFI elections done, is it the right time for protesting wrestlers to move on?
Wrestler Vinesh Phogat to return Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awards, pens open letter to PM Modi
“The panel holds that the Athlete is liable for sanction under Article 10.3.2, the panel considered that the athlete negligently failed to comply with the filing requirements and her case falls within the light degree of fault and the period of Ineligibility shall be one (1) year,” said the ADDP order.