Para-shuttler Pramod Bhagat suspended for 18 months

Kuala Lumpur. Tokyo Paralympic gold medallist para-shuttler Pramod Bhagat has been suspended for 18 months for an anti-doping regulation violation, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) said on Tuesday.

“The Badminton World Federation (BWF) confirms that India’s Tokyo 2020 Paralympic champion Pramod Bhagat has been suspended for a period of 18 months and will not be able to participate in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games,” the BWF said in a statement.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Anti-Doping Division on March 1 found Bhagat in breach of the BWF Anti-Doping Regulations for failing to provide information on his whereabouts three times within 12 months, the BWF said.

Bhagat, who competes in the SL3 category, appealed this decision to the CAS Appeals Division, but the CAS Appeals Division upheld the decision, confirming the suspension. The statement further said, “On July 29, 2024, the CAS Appeals Division rejected Bhagat’s appeal and confirmed the CAS Anti-Doping Division’s decision of March 1, 2024. His period of ineligibility is now effective.” Earlier this year, Bhagat retained his gold medal at the BWF Para-Badminton World Championships 2024 in Thailand.

This win not only made him the first para-athlete to win three consecutive gold medals at the BWF Para-Badminton World Championships but also equalled Chinese great Lin Dan’s record of five titles at the World Championships. He has won gold medals in 2009, 2015, 2019, 2022 and 2024. With these three consecutive gold medals, his medal tally has reached 14, which includes six gold, three silver and five bronze medals across all categories.