The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, September 11, issued a notice to the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) on wrestler Bajrang Punia’s plea against his suspension. The next hearing will take place in October 2024.
On June 21, the NADA suspended Punia for a second time and issued the formal "notice of charge," rendering him ineligible to train and participate in competitions.
The move came three weeks after an Anti-Disciplinary Doping (ADDP) panel had revoked the earlier suspension on the ground that NADA had not issued a "notice of charge" to the wrestler.
Ahead of the Senior World Wrestling Championships to be held in Albania in October 2024, wrestler Bajrang Punia approached the Delhi High Court challenging his suspension by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). The grappler has claimed that the conduct of the agency is in violation of his fundamental rights to practice a profession and earn a livelihood under the Constitution of India, and that he would be "forced to retire" if the "arbitrary" suspension is not lifted.
NADA had first suspended Punia on April 23 for refusal to give his urine sample for a dope test during the selection trials held in Sonepat on March 10. The sport's global governing body, United Wrestling World (UWW), had also suspended him.