India pays IWF fine amount, cleared for SAF Games

The International Weightlifting Federation on Wednesday cleared the deck for Indian lifters' participation at the January 29-February 8 South Asian Games after the national body paid $50,000 as first installment of the $500,000 fine imposed on it by the IWF.

The IWF has imposed the fine on the Indian Weightlifting Federation after six of its lifters had flunked dope tests conducted by WADA and NADA in September last year.

"When the fine was imposed on India, the SAF Games was knocking at the door, so the Indian federation did not get much time and paid the first installment," Indian Olympic Association secretary-general Randhir Singh said.

"The international federation has sent letters to their Indian counterpart, IOA, Asian Weightlifting Federation and also the SAF Games authority informing the eligibility criteria of the Indian lifters' for the Dhaka event," he added.

The IWF earlier cracked the whip on the offenders and banned Shailaja Pujari for life, imposed a fine of $5,500 on Vicky Butta and Harbhajan Singh and $5,000 on four other lifters - Rajesh Singh (Madhya Pradesh), Sunita Rani (Punjab), A Vijayadevi (Jharkhand) and Pujari.

"However, in any case the Indian federation has to pay the whole amount of $500,000 before the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in order to participate there. Now the Indian federation and the international body will work out the timeframe, number and amounts of installments to be paid," Randhir said.