Narsingh Yadav thanks PM Modi for meeting, supporting him

The wrestler, who had failed a dope test on June 25 claimed that it was a conspiracy against him

A day after being cleared by the National Anti-doping Agency (NADA), wrestler Narsingh Yadav today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who asked him to focus on winning laurels for the country at the Olympics without any tension.

The Prime Minister, who met the wrestler at his office in Parliament House soon after the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting, also assured the wrestler that no injustice will be done to him.

"The Prime Minister gave his best wishes to me and asked me to be carefree and participate in Olympics without any tension. He asked me to focus on winning medals for the country. He also assured me that no injustice will be done to me," Yadav said after the meeting.

The wrestler, who had failed a dope test on June 25 and claimed that it was a conspiracy against him, said he wanted to leave behind the controversy and focus on his participation in the Olympics and winning a medal there.

"I am thankful that the Prime Minister has met me and supported me. I am thankful to people for supporting me. I hope to live up to their expectations. I am also thankful for the support of the Wrestling Federation and the media for standing by me," he said.

Asked if he would like those behind the doping row be punished, he said an inquiry is on and hoped that justice will be done.

"This should not happen to any player, otherwise they will stop taking interest in sports," he said.

Wrestling Federation of India President Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, who is also a BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh accompanied Narsingh during his meeting with the Prime Minister.

Brijbhushan said, "The Prime Minister asked Narsingh not to take any tension and play freely and focus on winning laurels for the country."

Yadav was yesterday exonerated of doping charges by the National Anti-doping Agency (NADA), which concluded that he was a victim of sabotage, paving the way for the wrestler's participation in the Rio Olympics.

After more than a week of drama which began with Narsingh testing positive for a banned anabolic steroid methandienone in tests conducted on June 25, NADA DG Naveen Agarwal put an end to the suspense on the wrestler's fate by exonerating him.