U-23 World Championships Silver Medallist Wrestler Ravinder Banned For Four Years

Ravinder's sample for test was collected during the 67th All India Police Wrestling Cluster Championship in Jaipur in February-March last year

Under-23 World Championships silver medallist Ravinder Kumar has tested positive for a prohibited substance and thus been banned by the National Anti-Doping Agency for a period of four years.

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Ravinder suffered a 3-5 defeat to Kyrgyzstan’s Ulukbek Zholdoshbekov in the 61kg final to take home the silver medal last year.  He could be stripped off his silver medal with NADA’s direction to disqualify all the results of the  competitions he took part in from the date of his sample collection.

The world championships took place between October 28 and November 3, 2019.

“His sample analysis revealed presence of 19-Norandrosterone (Metabolite of Nandrolone) at a concentration greater than 15 ng/ml, Buprenorphine & its metabolite Norbuprenorphine, Narcotic Mephentermine & its metabolite Phentermine, and Stimulant Heptaminol which is enlisted under category S6 and is non-specified substance as per the WADA Prohibited List of 2019,” NADA said.

Ravinder’s sample for test was collected during the 67th All India Police Wrestling Cluster Championship in Jaipur in February-March last year. He had claimed to have taken the medicines for treatment asking for more time to file his defence.

However, he failed to appear for an oral hearing in December last year. “He was given another seven days’ time to present his case in an ex-parte hearing; however, he still failed to appear or produce any documents in support of his case in front of the panel. He was, therefore, proceeded ex parte,” the NADA said.

“The Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel, therefore, rendered Ravinder Kumar ineligible for a period of 4 years from his date of provisional suspension (14th May 2019) because his case involved a non-specified substance.”

NADA’s Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel has “directed that as per Rule 10.08 all other competitive results obtained by Ravinder from the date of his sample collection be disqualified with all resulting consequences including forfeiture of medals, points and prizes.”

As per Article 2.1.1 of the Rules, NADA had reminded Ravinder that it was his personal duty to ensure that no prohibited substance enters his body. “He was thus guilty of anti-doping rule violation. Also, the athlete did not disclose the medicine on his doping control form and also not applied for or furnished any Therapeutic Use Exemption,” NADA said.

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