New Delhi:
Boxing icon
Vijender Singh, accused of using heroin, submitted blood and urine samples today to the National Anti-Doping Agency or NADA.
However, the blood and urine tests may not help ascertain if the boxer consumed heroine. The drug does not last for more than 12 hours in blood and three days in urine. Only a hair sample of Vijender's can now prove whether he took heroin or not, since traces of the drug can be found in hair for upto three months. NADA says they do not have the facility to test hair samples.
Meanwhile, Vijender's close friend and sparring partner Ram Singh was arrested by the Punjab Police today.
Ram Singh has said that the boxers bought heroin from Anoop Singh Kahlon, an alleged dealer who was arrested last month in Punjab. Drugs worth 130 crores were found in his home. Vijender's wife's car was parked outside.
On Sunday, the Punjab Police said Vijender, an Olympic bronze-medallist boxer, took heroin 12 times, but did not explain how it had concluded this.
Vijender has strongly denied any link to the drug dealer and has slammed as "ridiculous" the allegations against him.
The Sports Ministry on Monday said in a statement that it ordered NADA to carry out immediate tests on Vijender "for his reported use of heroin even out-of-competition."
Officials from NADA had earlier said Vijender was unlikely to be penalised since any drug use was done out-of-competition.
"Vijender is not training for any competition these days, so he cannot be penalised," said NADA officials.
Vijender failed to win a medal at the London Olympics last year after he was defeated in the quarter-finals.