Tokyo Paralympic Gold Medallist Pramod Bhagat Suspended

Tokyo gold medallist para shuttler Pramod Bhagat has been suspended for 18 months due to whereabouts failures, causing him to miss the Paris Paralympic Games. The Court of Arbitration of Sport found him in breach of anti-doping regulations for three whereabouts failures within 12 months.

Tokyo gold medallist para shuttler Pramod Bhagat has been suspended for 18 months following whereabouts failures, consequently missing the Paris Paralympic Games, according to the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

In a statement, BWF revealed that the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) Anti-Doping Division found Bhagat in violation of the BWF anti-doping regulations on 1 March 2024 for three whereabouts failures within a year. Bhagat, an SL3 athlete, appealed the decision but it was dismissed by the CAS Appeals Division on 29 July 2024, confirming his period of ineligibility.

Bhagat previously won gold in the men's singles SL3 category at the Tokyo Paralympics, defeating Daniel Bethell of Great Britain in the final.