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India’s weightlifter faces life ban
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MUMBAI: Indian weightlifter Sanamacha Chanu has failed a dope test for a second time and could be banned for life, a top official said on Wednesday.
Chanu, who won three golds at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, tested positive last month for methylhexaneamine at a trial for the 2010 Games in Delhi, National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) director general Rahul Bhatnagar told Reuters.
"Chanu's sample A test report was sent to the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) on September 3. She is yet to appear for her sample B test," Bhatnagar said.
"According to World Anti-Doping Agency rules the maximum punishment she faces now is a life ban."
IWF officials could not be immediately reached for comment. Chanu, 31, came fourth in the 2004 Athens Olympics but was stripped of her position after testing positive and was subsequently banned for two years by the IWF.
She was part of India's Commonwealth Games 'core group' but did not make it to the final squad.
Doping has been a recurring problem in Indian sport with weightlifting producing the highest number of off2enders.
After six lifters flunked drug tests last year, the IWF was slapped a $500,000 (323,415.27 pounds) fine by the international body, which threatened to ban the federation if the amount was not cleared in full by August.-Reuters
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