Indian weightlifters under WADA scanner

Melbourne, Mar 11 (UNI) Their reputation preceded their arrival and Indian weightlifters are once again under the scanner of drug controlling agencies at the Commonwealth Games here.

However, the Indians are not the only ones being watched closely by the officials of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) but others are also feeling the heat.

The Games will have very few World ranking lifters and one of the stronger Commonwealth Country in this sport -- Nigeria -- is not taking part because of the drug ban imposed on it by the International Weightlifting Federation.

India can also take heart from the fact that the main lifter of the host country, who would have been a serious medal contender - Sergo Chakhoyan - has been suspended after testing postive to the stimulant benzylpiperazine.

At the Manchester Games, India was the strongest contender especially in the women's section and they lived upto that winning 30 medals in all to take the country to number three on the leaderboard.

The haul from the weightlifting competition was bolstered by the fact that each weight category, in both men's and women's, offered three sets of medals and India bagged 11 gold, 12 silver and seven bronze despite losing two gold and one silver after Sateesha Rai was stripped off his medals following a failed dope test.

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