While Krishna Prasad Garaga has been banned, women's doubles player Swetaparna Panda too could be facing a similar sanction after the National Anti Doping Agency's adverse findings against her
Leading men's doubles shuttler Krishna Prasad Garaga on Thursday denied taking any prohibited substance after he was banned for four years for a doping violation, insisting that the adverse finding could be a result of hormonal issues. (More Badminton News)
While Garaga, a member of the Thomas Cup-winning Indian squad in 2022, has been banned, women's doubles player Swetaparna Panda too could be facing a similar sanction after the National Anti Doping Agency's (NADA) adverse findings against her.
Garaga, who partners Sai Prateek in competitions, tested positive for findings for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) in September last year but has been banned now after his appeal apparently failed to convince NADA. HCG is a prohibited stimulant.
"I am 100 per cent sure that nothing has entered my body. In badminton, doping is not at all common... and there is no reason for me to do anything regarding that, because I was playing decently well," the 24-year-old shuttler told PTI.
"It is not like I have any tournaments coming up or anything like that. So, it is just a hormonal value which can go up and down," he added.
The shuttler, who along with Prateek had shown signs of progression as a back-up for India's crack doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, added that he had appealed against the adverse findings but was yet to receive a response from NADA.
"We have appealed. So we are just waiting for a response from NADA but there is nothing from them yet, it's been almost a month now.
"I found out that my test came back with slightly elevated HCG levels in May. At the time, I was preparing for the US and Canada tours, so I wasn't really focused on it. No one explained the significance of the e-mail I received from NADA.
"I didn't think much of it. I assumed it was just a random message that didn't need any attention."
The men's doubles champion at the 2019 South Asian Games added that he was taken aback when he received provisional suspension order from NADA soon after coming back from the tour.
"After returning from the US and Canada, I was informed that I'd been provisionally suspended. That's when I decided to take action. I reached out to a lawyer, who was recommended by someone from my academy — a person who had also dealt with a doping case involving cough syrup during the COVID period.
The lawyer gave him the contact of a colleague who would eventually represent him.
"I worked with him, and we went through the hearing. Unfortunately, he couldn't convince the panel of my innocence, and the decision was made against me.
"It's not that I could prove I hadn't taken anything; the HCG hormone is a growth hormone, and it's levels can fluctuate due to factors like illness, stress, or fever. So, the whole thing was very random," he added.
The athlete said that he has hired a new lawyer and a NADA consultant to fight his case and that he was worried his doubles partnership could be on the line.
"It's been a month, and in badminton, the athlete's time is very short and the partnerships in doubles are very fragile. We (him and Prateek) were doing decent. Just before going to the (Paris) Olympics, we also had a very good match with Satwik and Chirag in the academy for their Olympics pre-tournament.
"And, suddenly, this came up. No one is actively helping me. Not many people have a lot of idea about it. I am just hoping that they will respond and I am just trying to get to the new (Sports Authority of India) DG regarding this," he added.
Garaga said he had spent a lot of money on the clinical tests and his treatment of chikungunya, which sidelined him in August last year.
"I am just waiting for the decision and waiting to get back on court. I am hoping that by the end of this month, something will come up before the end of this month, so that the hearing can be done in the first or second week of February.
"I am trying to speak to (Badminton Association of India president) Himanta (Biswa Sarma) sir as well. I have put my case to him," he added.
Rutuparna, Swetaparna's sister, said she refused to talk on the issue.
"Swetaparna needs to discuss this with the family," she said.