India's hopes of a medal in the women's 3000m steeplechase were dashed on Sunday after Bahrain's Ruth Jebet was reinstated as the gold medal-winner following a review, a decision which the Indian contingent plans to challenge in front of "higher authorities".
- Asian Games: Lalita finish 2nd, Sudha 3rd in dramatic 3000m steeplechase final
Her disqualification, had it stayed, would have given the Indian medal tally a boost as bronze-winner Lalita Babar and fourth-placed Sudha Singh would have been upgraded.
"A three-member jury made up of an Iranian, a Vietnamese and a Thai was constituted following an appeal by Bahrain over the disqualification of their athlete late last (Saturday) night. The jury has reinstated her as the gold medallist," India's chef-de-mission and Athletics Federation of India President Adille Sumariwalla said.
"As per rule 143, we can't appeal against the jury verdict but we will take up the matter at the higher level and see that justice is delivered to our athletes. But this cannot happen here," he said.
Sumariwalla said Bahrain's officials put pressure to have the gold won by the junior world champion reinstated.
"The jury was constituted after the Bahrain officials put a lot of pressure on the authorities. There was an infringement and consequences should have followed. Like in hockey, if there is an infringement you get a penalty corner," Sumariwalla said.
"The Bahrain authorities are claiming that she was almost there when the infringement occurred but that's no excuse," he added.
Jebet's disqualification was controversially announced during the presentation ceremony after Lalita and silver-winner Li Zhenzhu had already been presented their medals.
A tearful Jebet was led away from the ceremony with Bahrain's official reacting furiously later.
Sumariwalla said as soon as he saw the infringement, he ran down to the technical officials and pointed it out to them.
The African import, running on the innermost lane as others after a staggered start, had apparently put her left foot outside the running area as she stumbled on the final turn into the home straight, which was caught on the TV cameras.
She was well ahead of the others when she committed the error and continued her progress till the finish before she was dramatically disqualified.
Sumariwalla, a former multiple-time sprint champion and Moscow Olympian, said when he had informed the jury what happened to Shiny Wilson in the women's 800m final in this very country 28 years ago at the Seoul Asiad.
"I raised that point to the jury, the incident that happened to Shiny," he said.
Shiny was disqualified for what's called "cheating on the stagger" as she cut into the innermost lane before the permitted distance had been run.
Unmindful of the red flag that was raised as soon as the infringement happened, she ran a fast race and finished 100m in front of Korean Lim Chun Ae only to be disqualified and the home athlete being declared the gold-medallist.
Lim went on to win the 1500m title too and emerged as one of the star athletes for the home country.
Sumariwalla vowed he would take up the matter now with the World Athletics Federation IAAF and the Olympic Council of Asia.
"The jury was brought into the picture in a fraudulent manner. I even talked to OCA secretary-general Randhir Singh, and will take it up with IAAF. I am confident justice will be served. But right now nothing can be done and the Bahraini athlete will get the gold at the medal ceremony scheduled this evening," he said.
"All these excuses of she lost her balance, she was nearly on the straight don't hold water. There are no grey areas in the rules," asserted Sumariwalla.
Image: India's Lalita Babar and compatriot Sudha Singh lead Chinas Li Zhenzhu during the women's 3000 meters steeplechase final on Saturday
Photograph: PTI