Indian Boxer Sumit Sangwan Banned For a Year, Tokyo Olympics Dreams Crushed

On Thursday, Indian Boxer Sunil Sangwan banned for a year, after failing a doping test. Former Asian Games Silver Medalist and reigning national champion, Sumit Sangwan’s Tokyo Olympic dreams got crushed after NADA governing body found traces of acetazolamide, banned specific substance in his urine sample on 10^th October during the Elite Men Boxing Championship.

NADA DG, Navin Agarwal confirmed the news on his twitter handle, stating “Sumit Sangwan banned for 1 year with immediate effect for consuming the specified prohibited substance.”

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NADA India in a series of tweets stated “ Indian Boxer Sumit Sangwan had tested positive for the presence of Acetazolamide substance which comes under the category of ‘Diuretics and Masking’ agents. His sample was collected on 10^th October 2019 while he was participating in the Elite Men Boxing Championship, 2019. Today the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel has rendered his ineligible for a period of one year under Article 10.5.1. In the absence of any provisional suspension, his suspension ordered by the panel shall commence from today, i.e. 26^th December 2019.”

“ In his defense, Sangwan refuted the consumption of any substance and pleaded that he had concluded an eye doctor pursuant to an infection in his eye and the medicines prescribed by the doctor contained that prohibited substance.” “Rejecting the plea submitted by Sangwan, ADDP ruled under the article 2.2.1 of the rules, it is the personal duty of an athlete to ensure that no prohibited substance enters his/her body, therefore, his negligence is no ground for exonerating him from prescribed punishment”.

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The above tweets clearly state that Sangwan will not participate in the men’s selection trials for Olympic qualifiers, scheduled in Bellary on 29^th-30^th December.

The NADA came to the conclusion that either Boxer Sangwan continued with the doctor’s prescription beyond the prescription date or he may have consumed other prohibited substances containing acetazolamide during the national event. His Urine sample could not have tested positive if he had discontinued the medicines as per the prescription date.

This restriction by NADA is a major setback for a boxer who has represented India in the 2012 Olympic games and also honored as the best boxer (81 kg) at the elites men national games in 2015-16 at Nagpur. Now he has to give up his bronze medal won at the Olympic test in Tokyo this October.