Malik fails dope test, likely to miss Tokyo Olympics
Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Tokyo Olympics-bound wrestler Sumit Malik has been provisionally suspended after failing a dope test during the recent qualifiers in Sofia.
Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) confirmed Malik’s suspension after it received a communication from the United World Wrestling (UWW) late on Thursday.
“Yes, we received communication from the UWW about Sumit’s suspension. Now he has to give his B sample on June 10,” said WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar on Friday, 50 days from the start of the Olympics. If Malik’s B sample also returns positive, he could face a ban.
“I believe that he must have taken something unknowingly. Maybe he was taking some medicine to treat his injured knee and that might have contained some banned substances,” said Tomar. Traces of banned substance methylhexaneamine was found in Malik’s sample.
As per World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules, Malik can challenge the suspension but by the time hearing takes place and a verdict is given, the Olympics could be over.
Before the 2016 Olympics, Narsingh Pancham Yadav had failed a dope test. Yadav, who had been selected after a longdrawn court battle with twotime Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, had accused his rivals of spiking his food.
“I don’t think it’s a repeat of that incident, but, yes, it’s an embarrassment for the country. These wrestlers should have been careful as they know the risks involved in taking such medicines,” said Tomar. “For sure, we are going to miss one quota place at the Olympics. Now, there would be seven wrestlers, including four women.”
Malik’s suspension has left Yadav shocked. “It’s a big surprise to me and I feel that an inquiry has to be done, (to see) if something wrong has happened to the wrestler,” said Yadav, who was banned for four years.
Malik, who was present at the unveiling of India’s official Olympic kit at a function in New Delhi on Thursday alongside the top brass of the Indian Olympic Association and the sports minister Kiran Rijiju, qualified for the Olympics in the 125kg category in Sofia. It was the last chance for wrestlers to earn quotas.
The 28-year-old wrestler has been nursing a knee injury at the national camp before the Olympic qualifiers began. He had competed at the Asian qualifiers in Almaty in April but could not win a quota place.
Malik then competed at the Asian championship at the same venue and returned without a medal. However, at the World Olympic Qualifiers in Sofia in May, Malik earned the quota by reaching the final, which he forfeited due to the injury.
To let his injured knee heal before the Olympics, Malik had planned to skip the exposure trip to Poland.