Suresh Kalmadi rules out paying weightlifting fine

In what could be a major blow to India’s hopes for a medal in weightlifting during Commonwealth Games, Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi ruled out any monetary assistance to the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) in paying the $375,000 fine to the game’s world body because it related to doping.

If the fine isn’t paid before the August 31 deadline, International Weightlifting Federation will not allow the lifters to compete in any international competitions, which include the CWG and Asian Games in China in November. However, Kalmadi said that he will facilitate in raising the money from “outside sources” so that Indian weightlifters can participate in the CWG.

Kalmadi also said that IOA would ask the apex body to reduce the fine as it was imposing “a fantastic amount”.

“The question has been why is the Indian Olympic Association not paying the fine. You see it is a dope thing. There is International Olympic Council (which will disapprove it). We can’t pay money for dope charges,” Kalmadi said.

Kalmadi said he hopes the matter would be sorted out before the August 31 deadline. “We got the deadline postponed (of paying the fine) from July 31 to August 31,” he said. IWF secretary Sahdev Yadav wasn’t worried but surprised by Kalmadi’s reaction.

“We are not asking them to pay for us, we are asking for a loan and are ready to pay it back with interest,” Yadav told DNA.

Out of the $500,000 fine imposed by the International Weightlifting Federation after six Indian lifters flunked dope tests conducted by WADA in September last year, IWF is yet to pay $375,000 apart from the individual fines and ‘B’ sample testing charges amounting to another $31,000.

Yadav said that Kalmadi may refuse but the sports ministry has given the directive, so somehow they have to bail them out of this situation. “It is a matter of life and death for other innocent lifters,” said Yada