'Challenging time for me as an athlete', says Pramod Bhagat on being suspended for whereabouts failure

New Delhi: Defending champion shuttler Pramoad Bhagat expressed his sadness about missing the upcoming Paralympic Games in Paris following his 18-month suspension due to anti-doping regulation violations on Tuesday.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) confirmed on Tuesday that India’s Tokyo 2020 Paralympic champion Bhagat has been suspended for a period of 18 months and will miss the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. His period of ineligibility is now in effect.

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.

"I am deeply saddened by the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to suspend me from participating in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. I want to clarify that the suspension is due to three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period, especially the last one being a result of a technical glitch rather than any intentional wrongdoing," Bhagat posted on social media.

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

"My team and I have been proactive in appealing this decision, citing the technical issues that led to these failures. Unfortunately, despite our efforts, we have not been able to resolve this matter before the upcoming games.

"We respect WADA, CAS and will abide by it, but this has been a challenging and emotional time for me as an athlete who has always competed with integrity," the 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.