Indian Para-Badminton Champion Pramod Bhagat Banned for 18 Months, Missing Paris 2024
New Delhi: Pramod Bhagat, the celebrated Indian para-badminton player and gold medallist from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, has been hit with an 18-month suspension by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). This ban will prevent Bhagat from participating in the Paris 2024 Paralympics, a major blow to his career. The suspension is due to Bhagat’s breach of anti-doping regulations, specifically for three “whereabouts failures” recorded within a single year.
On March 1, 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Anti-Doping Division ruled that Bhagat violated the BWF’s anti-doping rules. His appeal against this decision was denied by the CAS Appeals Division on July 29, 2024. Consequently, Bhagat’s suspension is effective until September 1, 2025.
Bhagat, a 36-year-old SL3 athlete, had a distinguished career, including winning gold in the men’s singles SL3 category at the Tokyo Paralympics. He also achieved a significant milestone by matching Lin Dan’s record with his fifth World Championships title in February 2023. The suspension comes as a major setback for Bhagat, who was expected to be a strong contender for medals at the upcoming Paralympics.
Despite this setback, Indian para-badminton head coach Gaurav Khanna remains hopeful. He expressed his confidence that Bhagat will overcome this challenge and make a strong comeback in the future.
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