Narsingh would have won at least a silver: WFI official

Continuing to back dope-tainted wrestler Narsingh Yadav, a top Wrestling Federation of India official today claimed the 74-kg freestyle wrestler would have clinched the silver medal had he taken part in the Rio Olympics instead of being banned for four years by the CAS.

“Narsingh would have won at least a silver medal, I can assure you that,” said WFI secretary V.N. Prasood here on the sidelines of a press conference to announce a world level prize money event.

Explaining the chronology of events leading to his ban Prasood said, “On August 18 Narsingh gave a medical at noon and had his weigh-in at 1.30 p.m.

“His name was even there in the fixtures. At 8.30 p.m. in the night CAS released their judgement.

“CAS told him, ‘give your weight, don’t worry about anything in the afternoon, we’ll give a result at night.’ So why should we have been thinking about it (ban),” asked Prasood when reporters questioned him on the matter.

“That’s when we actually thought that after 21st they will take any action, (that) if they want to punish they will take away the medal if Narsingh had won any medal,” he said.

“The judgment was unexpected. If only they had given this verdict earlier, we could have sent Praveen Rana,” he said.

Prasood defended WFI by saying Narsingh had been cleared to take part by the Indian Olympic Association, International Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling, wrestling’s governing body, before he was sent on the flight to Rio.

“UWW gave its nod for Narsingh’s participation, IOC gave its approval. After getting these two approvals, how could we have stopped Narsingh from going to Rio?

“If WADA wanted to appeal, why didn’t they appeal before 10th?”