Vijender Singh can join national camp, says SAI chief

Under-fire boxer and Olympic medallist Vijender Singh was given the go ahead to join the National camp by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) on Friday. Getting clearance from the National Anti-doping Agency (NADA), it seems, has worked wonders for him.

SAI director general Jiji Thomson told reporters in Patiala on Friday that Vijender is free to join the camp anytime now. "He has been given clean chit by NADA and therefore we absolutely have no issues with him. He is currently on leave but can join the camp any day he wants," said Thomson.

The SAI DG, on his maiden visit of the NIS, Patiala, said that there was no reason to doubt the boxer since he has tested negative for all prohibited substances, including heroin.

The sports ministry, on April 16, confirmed that boxer Vijender was drugs free.

A ministry release on then said: "The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is glad to announce that none of the boxers were found to have used any banned substances in the recent past."

Vijender found himself in quandary when his name cropped up in a massive drug haul where the police had recovered 26 kg of heroin, estimated around Rs 130 crore, from an NRI's house in Shivalik Vihar in Zirakpur on March 7. The presence of a car used by Vijender's wife Archana near the NRI's house only raised more doubts.

On April 1, Punjab Police said Vijender allegedly bought heroin for personal consumption on 12 different occasions from a Canada-based NRI drug dealer.

Punjab police, though, was not taking a lenient posture on boxer Vijender Singh - accused of consuming heroin - despite the Olympian getting a clean chit from the Sports Ministry. Officials of the force said that tests conducted by National Anti-Doping Agency 'have no legal validity.'

With this decision though, Vijender is definitely going to get some relief.

(With agency inputs)