Tokyo Paralympic Games gold medallist Pramod Bhagat has been suspended for a period of 18 months due to whereabout failure and will also miss out on the Paris Paralympic Games, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) confirmed on Tuesday, August 13. (More Sports News)
"On 1 March 2024, the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) Anti-Doping Division found Bhagat in breach of the BWF anti-doping regulations for committing three whereabouts failures within 12 months," BWF said in a statement.
Bhagat, an SL3 athlete, has appealed the decision to the CAS Appeals Division.
SL3s are athletes that compete standing with a lower limb impairment or balance issues while walking or running.
"On 29 July 2024, the CAS Appeals Division dismissed Bhagat's appeal and confirmed the CAS Anti-Doping Division decision of 1 March 2024. His period of ineligibility is now in effect," the statement added.
The 36-year-old Bhagat won a gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics in the men’s singles SL3 category, after beating Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell in the final.
"It is extremely sad and unfortunate. He was a sure shot medal for India at the Paralympics but he is a fighter and I am sure he will come back stronger," Indian para-badminton head coach Gaurav Khanna was quoted as saying by the PTI.
The Paris Paralympics will get underway from Wednesday, August 28 and will run till Sunday, September 8.
