The Hindu : Sport : Pratima submits written arguments

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 16, 2005

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Sport - Sports : General

Pratima submits written arguments

NEW DELHI: Pratima Kumari, under suspension for a positive dope test at the Athens Olympics, has submitted written arguments, through her counsel Sushil Salwan, to the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) in connection with her appeal.

She was to have appeared before a hearing panel of the IWF at Doha, Qatar, on Monday, but Mr. Salwan, who could have appeared on her behalf, chose to provide a written submission because of various constraints. Mr. Salwan said on Tuesday that he had made his submissions through an e-mail addressed to the IWF President, Tamas Ajan.

IWF anti-doping rules do allow parties to present their case in person and/or in writing.

"If it is impracticable for both parties to be at the hearing, both parties are permitted to provide a written submission," says rule 15.9.

Pratima, who married Patiala-based Karminder Singh last Saturday, was not in a position to make it to Doha, the venue of the ongoing World championships.

She had tested positive for testosterone at a pre-Games dope control carried out on behalf of the IWF at Athens last year.

She, along with Sanamacha Chanu, another Indian lifter who tested positive at Athens, and Sunaina Anand, who had tested positive at the Asian championships earlier, were subsequently suspended by the IWF. Pratima appealed and sought a hearing. If her appeal is rejected, she could be suspended for two years.

Pratima has all along contended that she was not responsible for the prohibited substance getting into her body, that she was treated for back pain while at a training camp in Belarus and given several injections without her permission, that she was unaware of the drugs that were administered, and that coaches Pal Singh Sandhu, and Leonid Taranenko, were aware of her condition and the treatment given to her.— Special Correspondent

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