IOA relieved Monica tested positive in India: deputy chef-de-mission
August 6th, 2008 - 5:38 pm ICT by IANSBy V Krishnaswamy
Beijing, Aug 6 (IANS) With the Opening ceremony of the Olympic Games still 48 hours away, news broke about Indian weightlifter Monica Devi testing positive for a banned substance and she was pulled out of the Games hours before she was to board the flight for the Chinese capital Tuesday night. And this is not the first time that the Indian contingent was embarrassed at a major Games. The deputy chef-de-mission of the Indian contingent, Baljeet Singh Sethi, said: “I can confirm that Monica will not be taking part in the Games because she failed a dope test at home.”
Sethi, the Secretary-General of the National Rifle Association of India said: “We are actually relieved it happened before she reached here because it would have shamed the country if she had failed a test at the Olympics.”
Monica Devi’s (69 kg category) selection came about in controversial circumstances. Shailaja Pujari (75 kg category) was selected before the federation had fresh trials after accusations surfaced about Shailaja offering some officials Rs. 500,000 to name her for the sole quota place India got for the discipline. In the fresh trials, Monica was chosen but the controversy refused to die down.
Monica, left behind in India, has been claiming innocence and accusing “some parties” of playing politics.
Sethi, the only official who went on record, was very critical of her and he said, “I can’t understand why athletes think they can get away with it because strict measures are in place to track down drug cheats. I hope the athlete and the federation concerned are punished.”
Indian weightlifting, which has been under a cloud for sometime, was facing a second positive test this year. Kavita Devi, a participant at the Asian Championships in Japan in April, had tested positive and banned for two years in May.
The Indian Weightlifting Federation itself had been suspended in 2006 and did not participate in the Doha Asian Games after several positive cases rocked the sport.
Monica tested positive at the Sports Authority of India’s National Dope Testing Laboratory in New Delhi.
- Tearful Monica pleads innocence, says she has been framed (Lead) - Aug 06, 2008
- Two athletes, four wrestlers suspended after testing positive (Lead) - Sep 02, 2010
- Indian weightlifter out of Olympics team protests innocence - Aug 06, 2008
- Zero tolerance for doping, says Indian chef-de-mission - Sep 09, 2010
- Strict action against any athlete found guilty of drug abuse, says Gill - Sep 07, 2010
- Doping cases will not affect India's performance in CWG: Bhanot - Sep 04, 2010
- After failing dope test, Indian weightlifter Monika withdrawn from Beijing contingent - Aug 06, 2008
- Indian lifters sure of winning 'dope-free' medals at CWG (Weightlifting preview) - Oct 03, 2010
- B-samples of swimmers, athletes also positive - Sep 08, 2010
- Two Indian weighlifters fail dope test, risk life ban - Oct 12, 2009
- Two CWG gold medallists in weightlifting squad for Asian Games - Oct 21, 2010
- Indian wrestlers put behind doping scandal, aim for rich haul - Sep 20, 2010
- Cleared of doping charges, Monika won''t be able to participate in Olympics - Aug 10, 2008
- Four Indian wrestlers test positive, out of CWG squad - Sep 02, 2010
- Five fresh doping cases in athletics, IOA orders probe (Lead) - Jun 30, 2011
Tags: accusations, asian championships, category selection, chef de mission, chinese capital, contingent, controversial circumstances, doha asian games, dope test, kavita, krishnaswamy, national rifle association, olympic games, opening ceremony, playing politics, secretary general, sethi, strict measures, weightlifter, weightlifting
