Federation claims her sister forged age; wants medals returned.
In what seems to be a retaliation of sorts against Karnam Malleswari, the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has asked the Olympic bronze medallist’s sister to return the medals she won at different competitions.
A letter has been sent by the IWF to Karnam Kalyani, to return all her sub-junior medals (two nationals and one Asian) for “forging her age”.
The IWF move comes a fortnight after Malleswari got national weightlifting coach RK Malhotra suspended for “sexually harassing young lifters”.
“She has brought disrepute to the sport. We’ll look into the statements and take action against her,” IWF secretary Sahdev Yadav had said then.
Kalyani had won the sub-junior nationals in 2004 and 2005. She also won a bronze at the Youth Asian championships in Tashkent in 2005.
Yadav said Kalyani’s passport showed her year of birth as 1985, which meant she was 20 and was eligible to compete in the sub-junior category. But her Standard XII certificate, obtained by the IWF from the Food Corporation of India, where she is employed, shows her year of birth as 1983.
Acting on this finding, the IWF has asked Kalyani to surrender the medals. “This is a clear case of cheating, we want her to return the medals immediately,” Yadav told DNA.
Malleswari has claimed that the IWF is trying to get back at her. The vice-president of the IWF who is also employed with the FCI, said that she has no clue as to how this issue has cropped up.
“I do not know from where this news has come out. Why is it being turned into an issue of Karnam Malleswari’s sister? If an athlete is guilty, it has to be proved first,” she retorted.
Malleswari termed it a conspiracy by her detractors, who have been ruffled by her allegations against Malhotra. She alleged that the 15 weightlifters, who recently wrote a letter in support of the former coach, were pressurised to do so by the IWF. She added that she has no clue as to why Yadav was trying to defend Malhotra.
She, however, claimed to be in possession of evidence against him. “Malhotra has no chance to escape.”
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}