By Alkesh Sharma, IANS,
New Delhi: Indian weightlifters are confident of a rich medal haul, unsullied by a dope controversy, at the Commonwealth Games.
Weightlifting has been a major medal contributor to India at international sports meets but it has also been plagued by a dope row.
The International Weightlifting Federation had also slapped a hefty fine, more than Rs. 2 crore (Rs. 20 million), on the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF), which managed to pay the amount in time to participate in the CWG.
IWF borrowed over Rs 1.7 crore (Rs. 17 million) from the Delhi CWG Organising Committee to pay the last two installments of the fine before the Aug 31 deadline.
Sonia Chanu, medal hope in women’s 48-kg category, told IANS: “All the weightlifters are very conscious about their diet and other supplements.
“Dope test failures have tainted the image of this sport but we are sure to win clean medals this time. We have prepared very hard and expecting at least ten gold medals,” she said.
IWF secretary Sahdev Yadav said: “Fifteen weightlifters – eight men and seven women – are participating in the Games. I am satisfied with the preparations and we are expecting 15 dope-free medals.”
“All players are performing well since last one year and are in best form. We only face competition from the lifters of Australia and England,” Yadav said.
At the 2006 Melbourne Games, Indian lifters contributed nine medals (three gold, five silver and one bronze). In the 2002 Manchester Games they won 27 medals (eleven gold, nine silver and seven bronze).
The men lifters in action that the Games are: Sukhen Dey, VS Rao (both 56-kg category), Rustam Sarang, Omkar Otari (both 62-kg), Ravi Kumar (69-kg), Sudhir Kumar (77-kg), Chandrakant Mali (85-kg) and Sarabjit Singh (+105-kg). Women’s squad isanu, Sandhya Rani (both 48-kg), Swati Singh (53-kg), Yumnam Renubala Chanu (58-kg), Srishti Singh, Monika Devi and Geeta Rani (all 75-kg).