Indian officials sweat over big dope-related fine
Source: Agencies |
August 25, 2010, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
INDIAN weightlifting officials fear the country could miss out on up to 14 Commonwealth Games medals if they fail to meet a fast-approaching deadline to pay a fine for drug offenses.
The national federation was ordered to pay a fine of US$500,000 by August 31 after six of its weightlifters were caught in doping offenses last year. It still owes US$375,000 with a week remaining until the deadline. The Commonwealth Games begin in Delhi on October 3.
"This is a very important discipline for us as we can win 14 medals at the Commonwealth Games," said Birender Prasad Baishya, president of the Indian Weightlifting Federation.
"We are working hard to ensure we don't lose out on these medals," he said.
The federation is banking on the government and the Indian Olympic Association to bail it out with the remaining amount.
"We have been in talks and I am hopeful things will be sorted out in the next few days," said Baishya, who took over in December last year after the previous set of officials resigned following the scandal.
Weightlifting has been a very successful discipline for India in recent editions of the Commonwealth Games, with a high of 11 gold, 12 silver and seven bronze medals in Manchester in 2002.
"It is not just the big events this year. Indian weightlifters are aiming to win medals at the London Olympics (in 2012)," Baishya said.
"This is a discipline that attracts people from the poor strata too, so there is great potential for us."
The sports ministry too has been worried about the issue and has written to the national Olympic body asking it to help the federation.
India has been twice banned in the past - in 2004 and 2006 - due to drug related offenses.
The national federation was ordered to pay a fine of US$500,000 by August 31 after six of its weightlifters were caught in doping offenses last year. It still owes US$375,000 with a week remaining until the deadline. The Commonwealth Games begin in Delhi on October 3.
"This is a very important discipline for us as we can win 14 medals at the Commonwealth Games," said Birender Prasad Baishya, president of the Indian Weightlifting Federation.
"We are working hard to ensure we don't lose out on these medals," he said.
The federation is banking on the government and the Indian Olympic Association to bail it out with the remaining amount.
"We have been in talks and I am hopeful things will be sorted out in the next few days," said Baishya, who took over in December last year after the previous set of officials resigned following the scandal.
Weightlifting has been a very successful discipline for India in recent editions of the Commonwealth Games, with a high of 11 gold, 12 silver and seven bronze medals in Manchester in 2002.
"It is not just the big events this year. Indian weightlifters are aiming to win medals at the London Olympics (in 2012)," Baishya said.
"This is a discipline that attracts people from the poor strata too, so there is great potential for us."
The sports ministry too has been worried about the issue and has written to the national Olympic body asking it to help the federation.
India has been twice banned in the past - in 2004 and 2006 - due to drug related offenses.
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