New Delhi:
The Indian Olympic Association on Tuesday said fresh elections will be held to reconstitute the Indian Weightlifting Federation, officials of which resigned en masse after six lifters flunked dope tests.
"The Indian Weightlifting Federation has requested the Indian Olympic Association to take appropriate action and fresh elections will be held soon," IOA President Suresh Kalmadi said in a statement.
Under intense pressure from Sports Minister MS Gill and the IOA following a series of dope flunks by country's lifters, entire executive committee of the Indian Weightlifting Federation resigned during its emergency meeting here on Monday.
The International Weightlifting Federation will decide on India's fate in its Executive Board meeting in Korea on Wednesday after six lifters returned positive for banned substances in out-of-competition tests.
Under international rules, a national body may be handed a maximum of four-year ban with fines if three or more lifters return positive for banned substances in a calendar year.
If a ban of more than a year is imposed, India will have to face the ignominy of being barred from fielding its lifters in the October 3-14, 2010 Commonwealth Games here.
Kalmadi said the IOA had set up a fact-finding committee soon after the doping scandals started coming out.
"Due to the doping violations committed by the six Indian weightlifters, the IOA, in its executive council meeting held on October 14 at Delhi, formed a fact-finding committee under the chairmanship of Brig. K P Singh Deo. The committee has already submitted its report", Kalmadi said.
"Further to the findings of the committee, the International Weightlifting Federation President Dr Tamas Ajan, IOC member also wrote a letter to the President, Indian Olympic Association about the serious doping violation committed by the six Indian weightlifters in the past few weeks and he mentioned that it was not the first time in the Indian history of Indian weightlifting Federation," he stated.
Kalmadi said even the international body had recommended fresh elections in the IWF.
"The International Weightlifting Federation President had told the Indian Olympic Association to withdraw the IWF leadership and call fresh elections. The final decision in this regard will be taken during the Executive Board meeting of International Weightlifting Federation to be held November 18 in Seoul, Korea," he said.