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Journalism of Courage
The positive dope tests of two Indian weightlifters at Melbourne will probably have serious ramifications for the sport in India. It could lead to Indian lifters missing out on the Beijing Olympics, apart from the Asian Games later this year.
Though the lifters’ identities are protected by the Commonwealth Games Federation till the process of appeal is over, they are believed to be Tejinder Singh and Edwin Raju, neither of whom are among the medallists at Melbourne.
The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), under pressure to clean up its act and facing the real threat of the sport being removed from the Olympics, is likely to throw the book at the Weightlifting Federation of India. They have a strong case: with Shailja Pujari testing positive in February, it makes three doping offences in one calendar year.
That leaves the IWF with three options:
• It can ban all or any officials from the federation from participating in any IWF activities for a period up to two years
• It can suspend the national body for two years
• It can fine the national federation a minimum of $30,000
The amount of the fine, as per rules, and conditions of payment are to be decided by the IWF Executive Board. In default of the payment of such fine, the national body shall be suspended for a period of time decided by the IWF Executive Board, being not less than twelve months.
The WFI had been banned for a year in 2004 after three positive cases; that term was completed last August.
Almost immediately, the federation ran into trouble when, during the Bangalore national camp, seven elite lifters evaded the IWF dope testing officials. The IWF then slapped a $5,000 fine, which was paid by the lifters.
And Prameelavalli was dropped from the Melbourne contingent at the last minute, apparently because she had tested positive at the SAI lab earlier this month. Had she made the trip, it could have been four positive cases in a few weeks.
