On the back of his failed dope test, the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist has cost India an Olympic quota in that category at Tokyo Games.
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Sumit Malik was a largely unknown name when the last Olympics came calling in Rio 2016. But, in the years to come, the wrestler from Haryana has carved out a name for himself, frequently bagging medals at major tournaments. It took a while for him to book an Olympic ticket, but he finally got there in difficult circumstances. The 28-year-old played literally with one leg as he was nursing a knee injury, but it did not stop him from competing at the World Olympic Qualifiers held in Sofia, Bulgaria last month.
With a victory in semifinals, Malik bagged the Olympic ticket. Even though he had to pull out of the final owing to the injury, the wrestler had done enough to secure a quota at the Tokyo Games. This achievement was extra special! Since Palwinder Singh Cheema in 2004, no Indian wrestler has been able to qualify for the Olympics in the 125-kg weight category until Sumit made the impossible possible.
He became an instant hero in the country and his story was deemed inspirational to budding wrestlers. But little did he know that in no time he will turn from hero to villain. On Thursday afternoon, Malik was one of the athletes unveiling India’s uniform for the Tokyo Olympics. But a while later the shocking news arrived, which might, unfortunately, prevent him from donning the blue jersey.
He has been banned provisionally by the United World Wrestling for six months after failing the dope test. It was reported that methylhexanamine, a stimulant, was found in the blood sample of Sumit during last month’s Olympic qualifying tournament in Sofia. Famously, it came to prominence when Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake was one of the five athletes who tested positive for the substance in 2009.
Hailing from the Karor village near Rohtak in Haryana, Sumit came to the Chhatarsaal Stadium in 2007 at the age of 13 due to his maternal uncle Narender Sherawat. It is to be noted that Sherawat himself was a veteran in the sport. The famous stadium in North Delhi is where Malik took his first steps as a wrestler. The Chhatrasal Stadium has produced world-class wrestlers like Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, and Amit Kumar Dahiya.
Even though Malik took some to make a mark, he finally found his feet at one of the biggest stages. In 2013, he produced his first significant victory in the international arena, bagging a gold in the junior Asian Championship in the 96-kg category.
A back injury prevented him from securing a 2016 Olympic quota in Rio. Undeterred by the disappointment, he came back strongly. Returning from injury in 2017, the expectations on him remain subdued. However, the wrestler from Haryana showcased his abilities to win an array of medals in the coming years.
He won the silver medal in the 2017 Asian Championship and clinched another silver medal in the Commonwealth Championship in the same year. His biggest achievement came at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. A gold in the 125kg category took him to legendary status. He was conferred with the Arjuna Award later that year in New Delhi.
For some reason, he found it difficult to crack the Olympic qualification code, falling short in the quarterfinals or semifinals stage. Sumit lost out in the semis at the Asian qualifiers at Almaty, Kazakhstan in April before suffering a quarterfinal defeat in the subsequent Asian Wrestling Championships. Heading to Sofia for the World Wrestling Qualifiers, he had one last chance to get that prized ticket.
However, the 28-year-old was nursing a knee injury back then, but it did not prevent him from competing. After edging past his opponents in impressive fashion, the wrestler was unstoppable in the semifinals, trouncing Venezuela’s Jose Daniel Diaz Roberrti 5-0 to secure his ticket to Tokyo. Sumit, however, had to pull out of the final due to the injury but he had done enough to guarantee a place in the Olympics.
Fast forward a month and things don’t look good for the wrestler. Due to his failed dope test, India is set to lose the 125kg weight category quota.
WFI secretary VN Prasood was quoted by Indian Express as saying, “We received communication on Thursday night that Sumit’s sample collected during the Olympic qualifying tournament had returned positive. The UWW has provisionally suspended him and India has also lost its quota in that category. It is unfortunate.”
What turned out to be a dream run is set to end as a nightmare for the country and the wrestler!
