Life ban for Tejinder, Raju if charges stick

Melbourne, Mar 24 (UNI) Indian Olympic Association (IOA) today made it clear that tainted lifters Tejinder Singh and Edwin Raju will be slapped life bans if the dope charges against them are proved.

''There is no way they will be shown any leniency in case allegations are proved,'' chef-de-mission H J Dora told newsmen here this evening.

''The (Indian Weightlifting) Federation's bylaws are very clear that if any athlete is found positive in an international competition, they will be subject to a life-ban,'' he later said in a statement.

Mr Dora, also President of the Indian Weightlifting Federation, informed that the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has referred the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and ''We await the outcome.'' ''I may have to appear before the court to represent the lifters.

Let's see what happens there,'' he added.

He admitted that there was a threat of ban being imposed on the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) by the International federation.

''Yes the threat is there and that can be a possibility. This is a very embarrassing situation for us, I admit '' he admitted.

''There was case of dope testing in 2005 and I was thinking that we have overcome this menace. But this incident has come as a shock,'' he said.

Both the lifters have pleaded innocence claiming they did nothing wrong and pointed out that they were tested in Delhi before coming here.

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