JOIN US“The Indian Weightlifting Federation has requested the Indian Olympic Association to take appropriate action and fresh elections will be held soon,” IOA President Suresh Kalmadi said in a statement.
Under intense pressure from Sports Minister MS Gill and the IOA following a series of positive dope tests by country’s lifters, entire executive committee of the Indian Weightlifting Federation resigned during its emergency meeting here on Monday.
The International Weightlifting Federation will decide on India’s fate in its Executive Board meeting in Korea on Wednesday after eight lifters returned positive for banned substances in out-of-competition tests, six of them in tests conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Under international rules, a national body may be handed a maximum of four-year ban with fines if three or more lifters return positive for banned substances in a calendar year.
If a ban of more than a year is imposed, India will have to face the ignominy of being barred from fielding its lifters in the October 3 to 14, 2010 Commonwealth Games here.
Kalmadi said even the international body had recommended fresh elections in the IWF.
“The International Weightlifting Federation President had told the Indian Olympic Association to withdraw the IWF leadership and call fresh elections,” he said.