Times of India: New Delhi: Wednesday, May 07, 2014.
Commonwealth
Games bronze medallist Dilbag Singh has found himself in the middle of yet
another controversy.
The
32-year-old pugilist, who was given the Bhim Award earlier this year by the
Haryana govt, is likely to lose the honour along with the cash award due to a
positive dope test in 2011.
Dilbag had
tested positive for methylhexanamine after winning gold in the Jharkhand
National Games 2011. He was cleared by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) a
year later.
In reply to
an RTI query, the State Public Information Officer and Deputy Director Sports
of the Haryana Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, S K Goyal, said the
process to take back the award from the boxer has been initiated.
"It was
on the basis of the written statement of Dilbag, verified by his coach, that he
has never tested positive for banned substances, that he was given the award.
NADA informed (about Dilbagh's) period of one year ineligibility (till
23-02-2012) from competing in sports events. The matter is under process by the
Sports Department for withdrawing his Bhim Award," the RTI reply stated.
The
development has left Dilbag a troubled man. He recently hit the headlines when
former Indian star, boxer Akhil Kumar, filed a defamation suit against him. The
case, filed under section 499 and section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, was
initiated by Akhil after Dilbag accused him of "manipulating" and
"rigging" the selection procedure last year's World Championship.
"The
trials (for the Commonwealth Games) are tomorrow and I am not in the right
frame of mind to perform. I don't want to hog headlines for wrong reasons. I
have boxed all my life and I don't want to get into any politics. I belong to a
grounded family and want to be at peace," a dejected Dilbag told TOI on
Monday.
"I have
never said anything wrong about anybody," he added.
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