NEW DELHI: India’s boxing pin-up boy Vijender Singh was ordered by the Indian sports ministry yesterday to take an immediate out-of-competition test after police said he had used heroin on several occasions.
The directive comes less than 24 hours after the Punjab Police alleged that the pugilist bought heroin for personal consumption on 12 occasions from an alleged Canada-based NRI drug dealer and smuggler who was arrested in a massive drug bust last month. They have, however, said the boxer was not involved in drug dealing.
Singh, whose middleweight bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics helped raise boxing’s profile in India, landed in trouble after last month’s $ 24 million drug haul in the northern state Punjab when a fellow boxer told the investigators he and Singh consumed heroin supplied by the drug dealer.
Singh has denied the allegation but Punjab Police on Sunday said the 27-year-old boxer had taken heroin on 12 occasions, prompting the sports ministry to ask the National Anti-Doping Agency to carry out a test on him.
“Such reports in respect of a sporting icon are disturbing and may have a debilitating influence on other sportspersons in the country,” the ministry said in a statement.
“It has, therefore, been considered necessary that NADA gets a test carried out on Vijender Singh for his reported use of heroin even out-of-competition.” Indian boxing coach G. S. Sandhu advised Vijender to give samples of his hair and blood to the investigating agencies.
“He should himself come forward and give samples to police as investigating agencies wanted to move the court for it,” the coach said.
He should give samples so that the investigation agencies could get them examined from an accredited sports agency, he added.
Earlier in the day, Vijender’s father had strongly denied the police’s allegations, arguing that the 27-year-old would not have won an Olympic bronze medal if he had been into drug abuse.
Police had claimed Vijender and Ram Singh allegedly procured the drug from alleged drug dealers Anoop Singh Kahlon and Rocky for personal consumption as “fun.” Ram Singh, who was on March 28 dismissed from the post of head constable in Punjab Police, had given his blood as well as hair samples to the investigators.
Regarding samples of Vijender, police said the matter regarding moving a competent court for issuance of directions to the boxers for making themselves available for a hair test was examined by deputy district attorney of Fatehgarh Sahib district.
The crime wing of Punjab Police has directed the local FSL to provide information as to which lab in the country can conduct the test appropriately early so that necessary action can be taken.
