Another panel, another charade

IWF assigns two to find the hows and whys of the Melbourne dope scandal

The Indian Weightlifting Federation IWF has promptly constituted a committee to probe into the doping incidents during the Melbourne Games as it did after the Athens Olympics. The only difference this time, however, is that the two-member panel will have a senior sports journalist Ramu Sharma in it, besides A.K. Mattoo, former president of the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation IABF.

The committee, according to an IWF release, will make an in-depth study into the following aspects and submit its report in four to six weeks:

8226; The measures taken by the federation to contain this problem

8226; The adequacy of such measures on the lifters and coaches

8226; Ascertain the reasons for such recurrence of doping incidents

8226; Recommend suitable measures to end this malady

So far so good, one might say. But there is nothing new about these terms of reference under which the probe panel will go over the issue. On several prior occasions, probe panels constituted by various federations 8212; including the IWF and the Indian Olympic Association 8212; have gone over the matter with more or less the same set of terms of reference.

Even the recommendations and punishments suggested have been along expected lines. The only exception could be the K.P. Singh Deo committee that probed into the doping incidents after the Athens Games.

For a change, it recorded Pratima Kumari8217;s grievances 8212; she complained about Belarusian coach Leonid Taranenko having given her 29 injections during the lifter8217;s training at Minsk.

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Subsequently, the IWF8217;s executives met at Mumbai and passed a resolution to implement measures, such as severe sanctions against offending athletes. But it did not specify any for the coaches or officials. The government the late Sunil Dutt was sports minister then, however, stepped in and sacked Taranenko and Paul Sing Sandhu.

Now another committee has been entrusted with the job, but only after the international body had slapped the expected ban period unspecified on the federation. Once again the offending lifters will be heard. Maybe, even the coaches who accompanied the squad will be called in to tell their side of the story. Actually, that will be the end of the story.

Till the next episode.

All for the lure of lucre?

Everybody is reacting to the weightlifting fiasco and the ban. The latest being Karnam Malleswari, bronze medallist at the Sydney Olympic Games. Now, enjoying her time with her little boy, she has come out strongly against some. Here are some takes

THE BIG, FAT BIAS Earlier, we had strict rules. We dreaded the ban. None would be spared. But when some of the lifters were let off in the past without any punishment and given a chance at the risk of country8217;s reputation, this is what one can expect. It was definitely a risk to stake the country8217;s reputation in the hands of lifters like Shailja Pujari and Pratima Kumari who have tainted records

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THE NATIONALISTIC VIEW In international events, when such cases happen they don8217;t talk about Shailja or Pratima, they say an Indian lifter is caught. We had recently felicitated B. Prameelavalli at a function in New Delhi. Maybe they have been doing this all along and have been caught only now

8230;AND THE LOLLY? Doping scandals are on the rise after 2000. Perhaps they are lured by the incentives. But it was a fruit of our hard labour for 15-16 years. Before I won the Olympic bronze, I was world champion twice, Asian champion twice and Asian silver medallist twice

JUNIORS TO THE FORE It is really so frustrating because junior lifters will suffer the most. We8217;ve really worked hard to bring the country this far. They should understand their responsibilities towards their juniors PTI