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Doping fall-out: IWF’s executive panel resigns

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Executive Committee of the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has resigned, owning responsibility for the recent spate of positive doping cases.

The Executive, which met here on Monday, apparently heeded the advice given by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in tendering its resignation which would be forwarded to the IOA. The IWF Secretary, B.R. Gulati, declined to comment on the developments.

The process of restructuring the weightlifting body gained momentum about a week ago when the IOA-appointed enquiry panel, headed by Mr. K.P. Singh Deo, also suggested in its report that the only way out would be to have a shake-up.

The committee was only a fact-finding one, but it made it clear in its conclusions that some remedial measures would be welcome to repair the damage caused by the spate of doping cases.

The IWF Executive Board, which is to meet in Goyang, Korea, on November 18, to discuss among other topics, the Indian doping scenario, is also learnt to have indicated to the IOA that a complete revamp of the Indian federation would be a must for it to show any leniency towards India.

The IWF rules stipulate that a country could be suspended for a period of up to two years and or fined $50,000 for three or more doping rule violations in tests conducted by international agencies in a 12-month period.

Eight of the Indian lifters have tested positive in recent weeks, six of them in tests conducted by the IWF/WADA.

The IOA, it is learnt, is reluctant to have an ad hoc body run the affairs of the Indian federation, as it could lead to a more awkward situation should there be further ’positive’ cases among lifters.

The present plan is to hold fresh elections to the federation in a month’s time under the supervision of the IOA. Interim arrangements will have to be worked out.

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