CHENNAI: India weightlifters are staring down at the prospect of having to sit out the upcoming World Championships after the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) made the country’s participation subject to the payment of a anti-doping violation rule fine.
The fine apparently was imposed on the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) after Poonam Dalal failed a dope test last year. Poonam’s samples had been collected during the trials for World University Games last year and had initially turned out negative after tests at the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL).
However, like multiple other samples including those collected from athlete Nirmala Sheoran, the samples among those selected for random re-testing by the World Anti-Doping Agency and subsequent tests at a WADA-accredited lab in Montreal revealed the presence of Stanozolol, an anabolic steroid. Interestingly, this development led to the NDTL’s accreditation being suspended by WADA.
IWF’s anti-doping regulations call for a national body to be penalised every time one of their lifters fail a dope test conducted by them or WADA.
“For each anti-doping rule violation found against the athlete or other person from a member federation by IWF (even any positive test conducted by WADA), the athlete’s or other person’s member federation shall automatically pay a fine of 5,000 USD together with the analysis costs of the test and all other costs incurred in connection with the violation.
“The member federation must pay the fine and the and costs within thirty (30) days of the date on which IWF demands such payment. If the member federation fails to pay within such deadline, it shall be prevented from entering any athletes in IWF Events until it has paid the due amount in full,” the IWF code states.
It is understood that the IWLF is of the stand that the athlete should pay the fine as she was not involved in the national camp nor was her samples collected during an IWLF event. However, failure to pay on time might end in Indians being forced to miss the World Championships which will be held in Pattayafrom September 18 to 27. It is learnt that the federation has already conveyed it to the lifter that the fine has to be paid by her. Also, officials say that she is not part of the India camp.
There might be even more serious repercussions for the IWLF as the IWF anti-doping code talks of further penalties in case of non-compliance.
“In the event that a member federation is found to have breached an obligation under this Anti-Doping Policy...or failed to comply with any directive or request on anti-doping matters issued by the IWF, the independent panel may: a) impose a suspension on the member federation for a period of up to one year; b) and/or impose a fine on the member federation of up to 50,000 USD and/or; c) and/or withhold some or all funding or other non-financial support to the member federation,” the IWLF code states.