13 august 2024 : Pramod Bhagat, the gold medal-winning para shuttler from Tokyo, has been handed an 18-month suspension due to failures in reporting his whereabouts, resulting in his absence from the upcoming Paris Paralympic Games, as announced by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Tuesday.
On March 1, 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Anti-Doping Division determined that Bhagat violated BWF anti-doping regulations by failing to report his whereabouts on three occasions within a 12-month period, according to a statement from the BWF.
Bhagat, classified as an SL3 athlete, subsequently appealed this ruling to the CAS Appeals Division.
However, on July 29, 2024, the CAS Appeals Division rejected Bhagat’s appeal, upholding the decision made by the CAS Anti-Doping Division on March 1, 2024. Consequently, his suspension is now in effect, as stated in the announcement.
Bhagat achieved a gold medal in the men’s singles SL3 category at the Tokyo Paralympics, where he triumphed over Daniel Bethell from Great Britain in the final match.
