Indian Weightlifting 2008: Dope scams 038; selection rows

The year began on a controversial note with the Egyptian coach Magad Salama quitting in February 8212; after six months of his appointment 8212; following a lengthy row with the Indian Weightlifting Federation IWF top officials, during which he alleged doping by the country8217;s senior lifters.

Despite the IWF8217;s umpteen promises to get rid of doping menace, eggs were thrown at its face with 75kg lifter Kavita Devi being caught in drug net just before the Asian Championships in Japan.

Monika Devi gave a red-faced IWF at least something to cheer about and gloss over the dope shame, helping Indian team win its lone Olympic berth in the event by fetching a silver and two bronze medals in 69kg category.

But a national crisis arose when the Manipuri lifter Monika was prevented from leaving for Beijing Olympics hours before she was to board the flight.

The Sports Authority of India held Monika back in the country at the eleventh hour on a controversial ground that her dope results were not clear as samples had 8220;adverse analytical findings8221;.

SAI said it could not risk another dope flunk in Olympics considering the shame four years ago in Athens where two women lifters returned positive.

Monika, flanked by IWF Secretary B R Gulati, broke down and exclaimed on national television channels to 8220;shoot me if I test positive in Beijing8221;.

The episode evoked consternation in Manipur and North-east alleging discrimination of sportsperson from that region. So much so that CBI had to register a Preliminary Enquiry after a request was made by the Manipur Government to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for a thorough probe into the entire incident.

But till date no full-scale case has been registered by the premier investigation agency of the country and the case has become sub-judice with Delhi High Court issuing notice to Sports Ministry, IWF, SAI and NDTL for reply in January next year.

Attempting to clear the air, the Sports Ministry set up a one-man commission of former Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishna Murthy to probe the issue.

Krishna Murthy, in his findings, ruled out any malafide intentions by the authorities but came down heavily on the officials for the inordinate 8220;delay in communicating the test results8221; to her.

The Sports Ministry chided NDTL for delay in coming out with test results. As recommended by Krishna Murthy, the Ministry asked NDTL to Test Monika8217;s B sample in WADA-accredited lab in Tokyo.

As a follow-up of Krishna Murthy report, the Ministry also issued fresh guidelines for transparent selection of athletes, coaches and conduct of national camps and made it clear that no tainted coaches should be appointed for international events and national camps.

The whole episode was preceded by a major selection drama with IWF Secretary B R Gulati being accused of accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh to select two-time dope offender Shailaja Pujari ahead of Monika for the Olympics. Gulati, however, rubbished the allegations as 8220;baseless8221;.

The selection of coach to Beijing also kicked up another controversy. First IWF cleared Deo Dutt Sharma but the Sports Ministry apparently shot it down on ground that he was dope-tainted and said that a woman coach should accompany a woman lifter.

Anita Devi finally got the nod but could not travel to Beijing as Monika was stopped from going there. With the dope shame and selection wrangles been the order of the day in Indian weightlifting scene, the Sports Ministry had to step in on a number of occasions.

The bribery allegations caught the attention of the Ministry as well as 8220;other serious manipulations8221; in the selection trials for Beijing Olympics.

The IWF stunned everybody by letting off dope-tainted lifter Satheesha Rai in June on the undertaking that he would not 8220;participate in competitive lifting at national and international levels8221; again and in recognition of his 8220;past services and achievements8221;.

The Federation8217;s decision was a shocker as a provisional ban was slapped on Rai after his second drug offence. Rai had tested positive for steroid stanozolol in the National Games in Guwahati, the first offence being in the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester where he tested positive for strychnine.

The farce turned full circle when Rai was again banned for life four months after he was let off under pressure from WADA which had sought a copy of the decision of IWF to review the reasons of his let off earlier.

Another lifter Tejinder Singh, who committed his second dope offence during 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, was handed only a two-year ban instead of life ban.

Despite all these, the selection process and functioning of IWF remained far from transparent and the year was capped by Indians not being able to defend their titles at Asian Junior and Youth Championships at Jeonju in Korea December 3-8 and senior and junior weightlifters missing out Commonwealth Championships at Limassol in Cyprus December 5-8 as IWF applied late for the visa.

Except for India, all the participating countries in the two events got their visas. Gulati blamed the Cyprus and Korean Federations for their 8220;procedural lapses8221; but Cyprus Weightlifting Federation President Damianos Hadjidamianou claimed it was because of late visa application by India and not due to any laxity on the part of organisers. In fact, IWF did not apply for visas less than 10 days before the two events owing to selection wrangles.