AUCKLAND: Indian government’s delegate at the commonwealth games and member of Parliament V K Malhotra said on Jan 31st that Indian weightlifter Subratakumar Paul’s deed” has brought disgrace and shame” to the country.
(Paul failed both the drug tests conducted on his urine sample and has been stripped of the three medals he won in weight lifting.)
Reacting to Paul testing positive for anabolic steroids, the president of the archery association of India said the incident nullifies “much of the honor in winning 27 medals in weightlifting.
“It is better not to win rather than adopt unfair and foul methods to claim medals”, Malhotra said, adding “the fault lies more with the officialdom than with the innocent ‘weightlifter who could have been a victim of circumstances.”
‘A commonwealth games official Wednesday confirmed that Subratakumar Paul ‘and another weightlifter Ricky Chaplin (Wales) have been were stripped of their medals.
Paul, already back home, had won two silver and one Bronze Medals in 67.5 kg category, while Chaplin had begged gold in middle weight class.
A third unknown competitor, also reported to be Welsh, has tested positive in the preliminary test, according to commonwealth games federation (CFG) secretary David Dixon.
‘Malhotra said the government and Weightlifting Federation of Indian (WFI) should institute a probe to find out how and why Paul took drugs. “If any official is involved in this Sordid Episode, he should be banished and banned for life.”
He advocated installing a doping laboratory in Delhi. “We can’t delay this any longer because otherwise we may have to suffer further humiliation”, Malhotra said.
- K. Chatterjee, director-general of the sports authority of India (SAI), who also spoke on the issue, said that the SAI had already imported sophisticated machinery from the United States. “I will endeavor its installation at a suitable place”,
Malhotra said doping test of all national and international athletes was imperative so that no unfair methods were adopted in winning or securing government awards or admissions in college and universities,
He suggested that the India Olympic Association (IOA) and concerned federations must take definite measures in subjecting chosen athletes to doping test before sending them for the forthcoming Asian ‘games in
AUCKLAND: Indian shooters Ashok Pandit and Surinder Marwah won two more medals for India in the commonwealth games here on Feb 2nd.
Pandit shot 583 in the 25 meters fire pistol to bag a gold medal and games record, while Marwah shot 577 to secure silver. The previous record was 580.
Pandit, who had led the field in precision with the total of 292 on Feb 2nd, was again in a superb form and shot 291 in rapid to head the table with 583.
The shooter said he was confident of winning a gold medal after his performance.
“I was calm and relaxed today when I started shooting rapid”, said Pandit. He had earlier won bronze in the pair’s central pistol.
AUCKLAND: Twenty six-year-old Karnadhar Mondal gave India three more silver medals as he finished second in all three divisions of 75kg category of the commonwealth games weightlifting competition bere on Jan 27th,
Mondal won a silver each in snatch (135kg) clean and Jerk (170), and overall (305kg).
Mondal tried to hoist 177.5 kg in his third attempt but failed, which stopped him from establishing a new record. His personal best for a total lift at home has been 320kg.
AUCKLAND: India won a Bronze Medal in the pairs 25 meters center fire pistol of the commonwealth games shooting competition here on Jan 29.
Ashok Pandit and Surinder marwab scored 1142 points to secure third position and bag the second Bronze for India in shooting.
AUCKLAND: The Indian challenge in the badminton events of the Commonwealth games ended Friday as Deepti Thanekar surrendered tamely to holder Helen Troke in the play-off for bronze.
Deepti, who had lost to second seeded Fiona Smith of England in the semi-final ‘one Feb 1 was handed down a humiliating. 0-11 0-11 defeat on Feb 2 by Troke,
‘The Indian national runner-up, who bad conquered two seeded players en-route to semi-final, could only watch helplessly as her much superior rival demolished here with power and craft.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 9, 1990
