Who is Sumit Malik, Olympics-bound Indian wrestler suspended after dope test

Indian wrestler Sumit Malik has been provisionally suspended after failing a dope test, meaning he is likely to miss the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, local media reported.

Also Read | 10,000 volunteers quit Olympics, chief says cancellation unlikely

The 28-year-old is a freestyle wrestler from India who competes in the 125 kg category. 

Born in Haryana’s Rohtak district, Malik has been training at Chhatrasal Stadium since the age of 13.

A Commonwealth gold medallist in 2018, he also won silver at both the Asian Wrestling Championships and the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship in 2017.  

Also Read | The Great Khali to Jinder Mahal: 5 desis who have rocked WWE

Banned substance methylhexaneamine was found in the Commonwealth Games gold medallist’s urine sample at a qualifier event in May in Sofia, the reports said Saturday.

The 125-kg freestyler’s sample was collected by United World Wrestling which subsequently provisionally suspended Malik for six months until December 2021, the Times of India reported.

The Wrestling Federation of India confirmed Malik’s suspension, the Hindustan Times quoted assistant-secretary Vinod Tomar as saying.

Also Read | Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Logan Paul: All you need to know

Malik has to give a B sample on June 10 and if this also returns positive, he could face a ban.

“I believe that he must have taken something unknowingly. Maybe he was taking some medicine to treat his injured knee and that might have contained some banned substances,” Tomar told the Hindustan Times.