Topic: News: Indian Lifters Test Positive Again and Again

[Markus Demeglio]

May be its cause every country is dirty, and so is the vast majority of athletes. Not leaving us much, or leaving us hypocritical. Its actually kind of depressing. I don't even want to think that some of our past heroes are tainted.

BINGO!!!! Almost everyone is on at that level.  And if you think that past heroes werent on when dianabol came out in the 50's and was legal for a while, then you are seriously dreaming.

I think the more realistic approach is to stop being hypocritical and realize that the Olympics and such have NEVER been clean and let things roll. Theyre rolling right now, except the game is now how to take drugs and not get caught.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Junior lifter’s positive test kept under wraps

NEW DELHI: Baljit Singh, a junior lifter from Punjab, had tested positive for the steroid, nandrolone, in August 2007, in a test conducted by a team sent by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) to the NIS, Patiala.

Baljit has been banned for two years after the usual disciplinary procedures. But his suspension has been kept under wraps so far by the Indian federation.

With the latest imbroglio of a foreign coach accusing the Indian lifters of doping practices, Baljit’s suspension could lead to further trouble for India should there be more positive tests returned by the country’s lifters in the run-up to the Beijing Olympic Games.

After having served two suspensions in 2004 and 2006, following positive tests at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games and out-of-competition tests done at Patiala, the Indian federation can ill afford to attract either a fresh suspension or a fine.

Sanctions

Three doping violations in international testing in a calendar year attract sanctions on national federations. Baljit’s case having come in 2007 there is no immediate threat for the Indian federation.

Nowadays, the IWF imposes fines in such cases (minimum of $30,000) instead of handing out suspensions on federations. India had paid a fine of $50,000 in 2007.

Meanwhile, the stalemate over Egyptian coach Magad Salama’s resignation continued, though the Sports Authority of India (SAI) is learnt to have told the coach to wait for some more time.

Coach’s demands

The panel headed by federation President Harbhajan Singh that went into the charges made by Salama, was not in favour of accepting the coach’s demands.

Salama’s main demand is a free hand in the selection of the Indian team for the Asian championships in Kanazawa City, Japan, in April.

He has suggested a women’s team containing a majority of juniors since he has apprehensions about doping practices among seniors.

“How can we not send our senior lifters and allow juniors who have no experience of international competition,” said Mr. Balbir Singh Bhatia, Secretary of the IWF on Friday.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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India coach quits over doping row
By N.Ananthanarayanan

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's Egyptian weightlifting coach has quit after a lengthy row with federation chiefs, during which he alleged doping by the country's senior lifters.

Magad Salama, who forwarded his resignation to the state-run Sports Authority of India (SAI) some time ago, said on Tuesday he was waiting for it to be accepted so he could return home.

"I didn't get an answer, but maybe today or tomorrow I will," he told Reuters.

"I'm closing this thing, I don't have any relationship with weightlifting in India," he said. "I don't have any comment about the situation here."

A senior SAI official confirmed Salama's resignation was on the verge of being accepted.

India's lifters were thrust into the spotlight when positive tests in high-profile competitions led to a suspension in 2006.

Even though the country's only medal at the Sydney Olympics was won by a weightlifter, so far no Indian lifters have qualified for the Beijing Games.

A senior federation official said Salama had demanded a free hand to pick mostly juniors for the upcoming Asian championship -- an Olympic qualifying event -- after he had raised concerns about doping by senior lifters.

The federation secretary Balbir Bhatia said existing selection procedures could not be totally ignored.

"He has given media statements that Indian lifters are on drugs," Bhatia told Reuters. "You can't call a man a thief unless there is proof."

He said that from an estimated 75 tests conducted on Indian lifters in the past year, only one, a junior male, had tested positive.

The coach was also upset when many weightlifters boycotted a training camp. Bhatia said some juniors stayed at their regional centres to concentrate on studies and others remained at a camp run by the army.

"Our stand is we will hold trials and whoever performs well will be picked by the selection committee," he said. "We told him he should understand the system in the country."

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Egyptian Embassy contacts Indian Weightlifting coach Magad Salama

PATIALA:  The Embassy of Egypt in New Delhi has contacted Egyptian coach Magad Salama here in view of  his resignation from coach-ship of Indian Wrestling team.

Magad has been staying here at  guest house of National Instituteof India. He has narrated all the events to his embassy and told the embassy that he has resigned last month. He was called overphone by Egypt embasy on Saturday, sources said.

According to sources, the  Sports Authority of India (SAI) has reportedly accepted his resignation, though there was no official confirmation of the acceptance of his resignation as being the Sunday the offices have been closed.

Magad Salama leveled serious allegations of weightlifting athletes being involved in drugs.  Of the 55 probables selected in the junior and senior groups, only 19 from among junior team reported at the training camp for the qualifying Asian tournament, which started today Though Indian coaches say the attendance in the camp would be full by Monday, Salama said the attendance was less as those missing were under the influence of dope.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Slamma accuses Malleswari of doping

Patiala (PTI): Hours before leaving the country, India's outgoing weightlifting coach Magad Slamma on Thursday dropped another bombshell by alleging that Olympic bronze medallist Karnam Malleswari deliberately avoided dope tests fearing she may test positive.

"When a team of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) came in the camp, Malleswari became an official of the (Indian Weightlifting) Federation and soon after the officials left she became camper," said Slamma, who had a very brief stint with the Indian team.

Before leaving the NIS complex, he told reporters that Commonwealth Games gold winner was also "not fit for the game" and "IWF was a group of manipulators and they have been protecting dope offender".

"The International Weightlifting Federation has asked for the list of women weightlifters and the Indian Federation has not supplied the list yet to them," he said.

Salama had submitted his resignation to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) on January 23, alleging doping practices among top Indian lifters.

"I don't want to risk my reputation. I train coaches all over the world. I am not here for money," Slamma had said.

The Egyptian coach, who was recommended to India by the game's world governing body, had proposed to select the team for the Asian Championships in Kanazawa City, Japan, based on his assessment and independent of in-house trials.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Doping controversy haunts Indian weightlifters

The Indian sports arena seems to be undergoing a tough time. After controversies haunting Indian Cricket and Tennis, the Indian weightlifting is the latest sport facing a crisis.

The Indian weightlifting coach resigned on February 26, alleging rampant doping practices among the weightlifters. The Egypt born Indian coach Magad Salama quit his job in utter disgust after a lengthy row with federation chiefs, during which he alleged doping by the country's senior lifters.

"The testosterone levels of five women lifters are higher than that of men", alleged Salama. The coach was also upset when weightlifters boycotted a training camp. Salama said lifters avoided camps the avoid tests: "Malleshwari dose not come to the camps, but she plays games. She is afraid that if a dope test is conducted in the camp, she would be caught."

Karnam Malleshwari -- bronze medalist at the 2000 Sydney summer Olympics -- was visibly angry over the allegation and demanded that Salama prove the charges he has made. "Before quitting he should have proved all the allegations that he had been making. He cannot prove what he alleges," Malleshwari said.

Meanwhile, the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) backed its players and maintained that their players are clean. Harbhajan Singh, the President of the IWF said: "Tests were conducted on recently on around 70 lifters, who participate in foreign competitions and none of them proved positive."

President of the Indian Olympic Association, Suresh Kalmadi, meanwhile remained indifferent to the controversy and passed the buck on to the weightlifting association. "I don't want to comment on the issue. I am not aware of this. You have to speak to the weightlifting association," he said.

India's lifters were thrust into the spotlight when the biggest doping scandal hit the Indian weightlifting, which led to a suspension from the prestigious Commonwealth Games in 2006. Five Indian weightlifters --Prameelavalli Bodari, Shailaja Pujari, Edwin Raju and Tejinder Singh -- tested positive of using anabolic steroids and were banned for a period of six months.

A senior federation official said Salama had demanded a free hand to pick mostly juniors for the upcoming Asian championship -- an Olympic qualifying event -- after he had raised concerns about doping by senior lifters.
 
Salama has always been vocal in his views against the Indian Weightlifting Federation and has even accused the federation of encouraging the lifters to use the banned substances.

Even though the country's only medal at the Sydney Olympics was won by a weightlifter, so far no Indian lifters have qualified for the Beijing Games.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Egyptian coach failed to fit into our scheme: IWF
By Navneet Singh

New Delhi, March 3 A week after Egyptian lifting coach Maged Salama left for his country, snapping his one-year contract within six months, the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) maintains that his duration in the country wasn’t productive. The IWF also feels that Salama’s leaving will not have any effect on the medal tally of the Indian contingent in the Youth Commonwealth Games in October in Pune.

The IWF had roped in Salama for the youth development programme in the country, particularly these Commonwealth Games. Today, though, IWF secretary Balbir Singh Bhatia claimed it was actually for the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.

“Salama’s six-month presence didn’t make any big difference. He was mostly engaged in spotting talent and learning his ropes here, not in training.”

That also means that the expenditure on Salama in terms of salary and other expenses during his stay in the country was a waste. Salama’s monthly salary was $ 2500, and the Sports Authority of India had alone paid Rs 6 lakh in that regard. All that was the tax payers’ money.

Bhatia said the country’s budding lifters are strong enough to win medals in each of the five weight categories of the boys and girls group in Pune. “The Youth Games is not a big challenge for us. Even without the presence of a foreign coach, our lifters are capable of winning laurels there,” he said.

Criticising Salama, Bhatia said: “He didn’t fit into the IWF schemes or things, which was why he decided to go back to his country.” It indicates that a difference of opinion with the IWF forced Salama to put in his papers. He flew back to Egypt on February 27.

Will the IWF go in for another foreign coach in the near future? “Certainly,” was Bhatia’s prompt reply. But that hunt will commence only after the Olympics. “This time it could be someone from an East Asian country — from China or Korea,” said Bhatia.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Weightlifter Kavita banned for doping

 MUMBAI (Reuters) - Weightlifter Kavita Devi has been banned for two years after failing a drugs test, India's weightlifting chief said on Monday.

Kavita, who competes in the women's 75kg, was hauled back from last month's Asian championships in Japan after the Indian weightlifting federation learned she had tested positive for a steroid during a World Anti-Doping Agency test.

"She was not inclined to take the 'B' sample test," the federation's president, Harbhajan Singh, told Reuters.

"She has been (told) in writing by the International Weightlifting Federation that she will not be able to participate in any international or national competition for two years."

Indian lifters were thrust into the spotlight when positive tests in high-profile competitions led to a suspension in 2006.

India's Egyptian coach Magad Salama quit in February after a lengthy row with federation chiefs during which he claimed several of the country's senior lifters were taking performance-enhancing drugs.