Pramod Bhagat, the gold medalist from the Tokyo Paralympics, will not be competing in the Paris Paralympics 2024. This is a significant blow to Indian hopes as Bhagat was a standout performer in Tokyo.
The reason for Bhagat’s absence is an 18-month suspension imposed by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The suspension results from Bhagat breaching the BWF’s anti-doping whereabouts clause. According to the BWF, Bhagat failed to provide accurate whereabouts information on three occasions within a year, leading to the suspension.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed the decision on March 1, 2024. As a result, Bhagat will miss the Paris Games, which began with a grand opening ceremony on August 28.
Bhagat won gold in the SL3 men’s singles at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, where he defeated Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell with scores of 21-14 and 21-17. His absence will be felt deeply by the Indian team as they look to build on their previous successes.
