Kunjarani decides against second test

Suspended weightlifter Kunjarani Devi, it appears, has decided against appealing to the international body for a test on her 'B' urine sample and faces the likelyhood of her ban being extended to two years.

The International Weightlifting Federation, which slapped a six-month ban on the weightlifter, following a positive dope test at the July 12-17 Senior Asian weightlifting championships, where she won two gold and one silver medals, had said Kunjarani should write to them by August 29 if she wanted the second sample to be tested. However, with Kunjarani failing to give such an application to the Indian Weightlifting Federation by the deadline, it appears she has decided against making the appeal.

"We were expecting her to send the appeal today [Wednesday] but already half the day is gone and I do not think she will be appealing any more," Balbeer Singh Bhatia, one of the two-members of the ad-hoc committee currently running the Indian Weightlifting Federation, informed on Wednesday evening.

Bhatia said it is now the prerogative of the world body to either take a lenient view and reduce the six-month month ban or extend it further.

"We can only do wishful thinking. It is up to the international body to take further action," he said.

"Since Kunjarani has not asked for her B sample to be tested it amounts to admission of guilt and her career is effectively finished," a highly-placed source said.

"If someone is very sure of being innocent, he can take the opportunity of getting the other sample tested. But the very fact that she did not, tells its own story," he added.

Kunjarani had, however, appealed to the international body on Monday to take a lenient view and admitted taking "a nutrient, Vita-X Gold and Dispirin".

The 33-year-old weightlifter, who won a gold in the 48-kg category at the Asian Weightlifting Championships at Jeon Ju (South Korea), was tested immediately after the event and her sample 'A' was found to contain the stimulant 'strychnine'.

The Asian Weightlifting Federation informed the IWF about the positive test on August 24 and asked it to return the gold medal immediately as the results stood annulled.

Immediately after the news broke out, eight weightlifters fled from the National Institute of Sports, Patiala.

"We were conducting trials for the SAF Games and Afro-Asian Games on August 25. While ten weightlifters underwent the trials, eight of them opted out. An SAI doctor was also present and some of them thought why take the risk of being tested. We may infer that they were guilty and opted out fearing getting caught," Bhatia said.

Five weightlifters, including Dalbeer Singh, Satish Ray, T Muthu, Tejinder Singh and Gurmeet Singh, have been shortlisted for the SAF Games in Islamabad, he said.

Kunjarani, fiercely guarded by her mentor P K Mahanand, called upon IOA secretary-general Randhir Singh but refused to talk to the media.

"Why do you want to question her? She has nothing to say," Mahanand shot at waiting journalists.

Related report
I'm shocked at the findings: Kunjarani