Para shuttler Pramod Bhagat suspended for 18 months, to miss Paris Paralympics

Pramod Bhagat won a gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics in men's singles SL3 category, beating Daniel Bethell of Great Britain in the final.

Tokyo gold medallist para shuttler Pramod Bhagat has been suspended for a period of 18 months due to whereabout failure and will miss the Paris Paralympic Games, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) said on Tuesday.

Along with a gold medal in men's singles SL3 event, Pramod Bhagat also won a bronze each in Men's Doubles SL3-SL4 and Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5 events, making it his most successful Asian Para Games.

"In 1 March 2024, the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) Anti-Doping Division found Bhagat in breach of the BWF anti-doping regulations for committing three whereabouts failures within 12 months," BWF said in a statement.

"Bhagat, an SL3 athlete, appealed this decision to the CAS Appeals Division.

"On 29 July 2024, the CAS Appeals Division dismissed the Bhagat’s appeal and confirmed the CAS Anti-Doping Division decision of 1 March 2024. His period of ineligibility is now in effect," the statement added.

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