Indian Shuttler Krishna Prasad Garaga Cleared of Doping Charges, Ban Lifted
In a significant development for Indian badminton, men's doubles player Krishna Prasad Garaga has been exonerated of doping charges and his four-year ban has been lifted with immediate effect by the National Anti-Doping Agency's (NADA) appeal panel. The 25-year-old from Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, who was part of India's historic Thomas Cup gold-winning campaign in 2022, can now resume his competitive career.
Timeline of the Case and Legal Proceedings
Garaga's period of ineligibility was originally imposed on November 6, 2024, with his return to competition scheduled for January 18, 2026. However, the appeal panel's recent decision has overturned this ban entirely. The panel's ruling emphasized that the scientific and biochemical evidence presented did not establish, to the required standard of comfortable satisfaction, that the detected Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) in Garaga's sample originated from exogenous administration.
Garaga's legal team successfully argued that NADA failed to comply with mandatory procedural safeguards. They contended that under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) technical rules, an adverse analytical finding for HCG in a male athlete should trigger a comprehensive clinical investigation to rule out pathological causes. The lawyers further stated that "exogenous administration is pharmacokinetically impossible since injected HCG would have cleared the system within days."
NADA's Position and the Appeal Panel's Verdict
NADA's legal team had argued that under the principle of strict liability, the burden of proof shifts to the athlete. However, the appeal panel ruled decisively in Garaga's favor, stating in its order: "The panel finds that the scientific and biochemical evidence on record does not establish, to the requisite standard of comfortable satisfaction, that the HCG detected in the athlete's sample originated from exogenous administration. Accordingly, the athlete is exonerated."
This decision marks a triumphant return for Garaga, who has previously demonstrated his prowess on the international stage. He was the men's doubles champion at the 2019 South Asian Games and contributed significantly to India's Thomas Cup victory in 2022, a landmark achievement in Indian badminton history.
Parallel Development in Bajrang Punia's Case
In a related development within Indian anti-doping proceedings, a separate appeal panel has ordered the cross-examination of NADA's dope control officer Pawan Kumar and chaperones Kirti and Mukul in Olympic medallist wrestler Bajrang Punia's case. This case involves Punia's refusal to provide a urine sample during national selection trials on March 10, 2024, following disputes over testing protocols.
Punia was banned for four years by NADA's disciplinary panel on November 26, 2024. The ordered cross-examination represents a significant procedural step in his ongoing appeal process, highlighting the complexities and challenges in anti-doping enforcement across different sports disciplines in India.
The exoneration of Krishna Prasad Garaga represents not just a personal victory for the talented shuttler, but also underscores the importance of rigorous scientific evaluation in anti-doping cases. As Garaga prepares to don the India jersey once again, his return adds depth to India's badminton contingent ahead of future international competitions.
