Olympic-bound wrestler Sumit Malik has failed dope test conducted by United World Wrestling (UWW) during the May 6-9 World Olympic qualifiers held in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Malik, the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold-medallist, had qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in the 125kg category. The 28-year-old’s dream of competing at the event starting 23 July seems as good as over with this.
“The UWW (United World Wrestling) informed the Wrestling Federation of India yesterday that Sumit has failed the dope test. Now he has to give his B sample on 10 June,” a WFI source told PTI.
“He must have taken something unknowingly. Maybe he was taking some Ayurvedic medicine to treat his injured knee and that might have contained some banned substances,” said the source.
“But these wrestlers should have been careful, they know the risks involved by taking such medicines,” he added.
He had competed at the Asian Qualifiers in Almaty in April but did not succeed in earning the quota.
He then competed at the Asian Championship at the same venue and returned with a medal-less performance.
However, at the World Olympic Qualifiers in Sofia held in May, Malik earned the quota by reaching the final, which he forfeited due to the same injury.
This marks the second instance of an Indian wrestler failing a dope test before the Olympics after Narsingh Pancham Yadav, who had tested positive for a banned substance and slapped with a four-year ban before the 2016 Summer Games in Rio.