Paralympic champion Pramod Bhagat suspended for 18 months over whereabouts failure

Kuala Lumpur, Aug 13 : Tokyo Paralympic gold medallist para-shuttler Pramod Bhagat has been suspended for 18 months due to anti-doping regulation violations, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) said on Tuesday.

"The Badminton World Federation (BWF) can confirm India’s Tokyo 2020 Paralympic champion Pramod Bhagat has been suspended for a period of 18 months and will miss the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games," BWF said in a statement.

The BWF said that the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) Anti-Doping Division, on March 1, found Bhagat in breach of the BWF anti-doping regulations for committing three whereabouts failures within 12 months.

Bhagat, who competes in the SL3 category, appealed this decision to the CAS Appeals Division, but the CAS appeals division upheld the decision, confirming the suspension.

"On July 29, 2024, the CAS Appeals Division dismissed the Bhagat’s appeal and confirmed the CAS Anti-Doping Division decision of March 1, 2024. His period of ineligibility is now in effect," the statement further read.

Ealier this year, Bhagat retained his gold at the BWF Para-Badminton World Championships 2024 in Thailand. The win not only made him the first para-athlete to win three consecutive gold medals in the BWF Para-Badminton World Championships but also equalled the record of Chinese great Lin Dan’s five titles in the world championships.

He has won gold in 2009, 2015, 2019, 2022 and 2024. These three consecutive gold medals took his tally to 14 which includes six gold, three silver and five bronze medals in all categories.