New Delhi, Aug 10: Despite the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) stating that it was too late to enter weightlifter Monika Devi in the Olympic Games, efforts were continuing on Saturday to facilitate her departure for Beijing.
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Secretary-General, Randhir Singh, in Beijing, said that it wasvtoo late for Monika to come to Beijing as the authorities have closed the entry process to Beijing. The Manipur lifter, who was chosen as the lone Indian entry in weightlifting (69kg category), was charged with a doping offence hours before her departure for Beijing last Tuesday.
Since then, the lifter as well as the Indian Weightlifting Federation had been having consultations with officials of the IOA to enable her participation in the Games.
Notwithstanding the assertion of the IOA President, Suresh Kalmadi, in Beijing on Saturday, that there was no attempt to re-enter Monika in the weightlifting competition, the Indian federation had made attempts to get her re-entry.
The IOA had withdrawn her name from the competition following a communication from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) that the lifter had tested positive and Kalmadi even went to the extent of praising SAI for having nailed the offender at home itself, thus saving further embarrassment for the country in the Olympics.