In a major jolt to India's medal hopes at the upcoming Paris Games, World Championships bronze medallist Parveen Hooda is all but certain to miss her Olympics quota owing to Whereabout Failure. "Parveen has been provisionally suspended by World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) for a period of 18 months. The news has left us completely shattered," Hooda's coach Sudhir Hooda confirmed.

Parveen, it is learned, accumulated three Whereabouts Failures within a year April 2022 to March 2023. Athletes who part of the Registered Testing Pool (RTP) are required to submit quarterly whereabouts updates. According to WADA rules, “any combination of three whereabouts failures (filing failure and/or missed test) within a period of 12 months constitute an anti-doping rule violation, for which the applicable sanction is 2 years’ ineligibility subject to a reduction to a minimum of 1 year depending on your degree of fault.”

The development has sent Boxing Federation of India (BFI) into a scramble. "We are in constant correspondence with IBA. Our main goal is to ensure she is not sanctioned at all. At the very least, we want the suspension to be reduced to one year," lawyer Vidushpat Singhania, who has taken up Parveen's case, said. There is, however, no precedence of such a sanction being completely overturned. Even if BFI manages to get the suspension reduced, Parveen — and India — will end up losing the 57kg berth.

"Repeated reminders were sent to Parveen, BFI, and then chief coach (Bernard Dunne) but everyone ignored the emails. Parveen took the matter casually and paid the price," the coach said.

BFI remained tight-lipped on the issue. "We'll get clarity in a day or two but we are communicating with all possible channels to do what is best," BFI secretary general Hemanta Kalita said.

Parveen's name was initially part of the team list for the ongoing Elorda Cup in Kazakhstan — the team sheet dated May 6 is in HT's possession — but a week later, when BFI officially announced the team, there was no boxer in the women's 57kg class. The Asian Games bronze medallist is currently at her home in Rohtak’s Rurki village.

In Parveen's absence, the BFI has asked 60kg pugilist Jaismine Lamboria to gear up for the World Olympic Qualifiers that are scheduled in Bangkok from May 24 to June 2. "We have been asked by a few coaches to get ready for Bangkok. Jaismine has already cut her weight and is practicing twice a day to win the quota," her coach and uncle Sandeep Lamboria said.

Unlike wrestling or shooting where the quota belongs to the NOC, boxing quotas are awarded to the athlete who has won it. Besides Parveen, Nikhat Zareen (50kg), Preeti (54kg), and Tokyo bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) have earned Paris quotas.

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