Despite an average performance, India's Laishram Monica Devi managed to bag bronze medal in the women's 75kg weightlifting in New Delhi at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Sports Complex on Saturday.
Weightlifter Laishram Monika Devi failed a dope test and pulled out of the Indian contingent for the Beijing Olympics.
From bitter fights to dope shame, Indian Olympic team's tryst with controversies
In order to avoid a repeat of the Monika Devi doping scandal-like incident before the Olympics, the National Anti-Doping Agency has tested the urine samples of all Indian athletes except a few who were based abroad for training, its Director General said on Wednesday.
Indian weightlifters continued their gold rush in the Commonwealth Championships, adding 10 more medals to their 16-medal haul on the second day of the competition in Apia, Samoa, on Thursday. After the second day, India's medal tally swelled to 31, including 21 gold.
The 2010 CWG bronze medallist Monika Devi was the best placed Indian so far at the ongoing Senior Asian Weightlifting Championships with a sixth place finish but an Olympic quota remains elusive for the country.
In a dramatic face-off, agitated weightlifter Monika Devi on Wednesday stormed into the Sports Authority of India headquarters in New Delhi and confronted its Executive Director (Teams) R K Naidu, demanding report of her dope test, which she flunked.
Dope-tainted Manipuri lifter L Monika Devi and Sarabjit Singh, who broke his own national record in the over 105kg category, will spearhead Indian challenge at the Commonwealth Games from October 3-14.
Unhappy with the Sports Authority of India's flip-flop over the dope testing episode involving weightlifter Monika Devi, Sports Minister M S Gill on Wednesday appointed former Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy to inquire into all aspects of the matter. Krishnamurthy has been asked to submit his report within a week, sources in the Sports Ministry said.
Despite being absolved of the dope charge, weightlifter Monika Devi's chances of taking part in the Beijing Olympics were dashed on Sunday, as the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) rejected her entry in the competition. The Indian Olympic Association's request to allow Monika to participate was turned down by the IWF, IOA president Suresh Kalmadi said in a statement in Beijing.
With firm backing from the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF), dope-tainted lifter Monika Devi on Wednesday claimed innocence and alleged that she is being victimised by some members of the Sports Authority of India (SAI). Monika, the lone weightlifter chosen to represent India in the Beijing Olympic Games, was prevented from boarding her flight to Beijing on Tuesday night for testing positive for a banned anabolic salt.
The 'B' sample test of Manipuri weightlifter Monika Devi, who was stopped from taking part in Beijing Olympics on dope charges, has returned positive for a banned substance in a WADA-accredited laboratory in Tokyo.
The one-man inquiry committee to probe the Monika Devi controversy on Friday ruled out any malafide intentions by the authorities to bar the Manipuri lifter from the Beijing Olympics on dope charges but came down heavily on the officials for the delay in communicating the test results to her. T S Krishnamurthy, who submitted the probe report to the Sports Ministry, did not find any violation of procedure in the whole testing process.
Weightlifter L Monika Devi was on Tuesday unanimously chosen ahead of Shailaja Pujari to represent the country at the Beijing Olympic Games after a selection trial in Bangalore, bringing to an end a selection controversy and allegations of bribery. Monika, who won a silver and two bronze medals at the Asian Championships in Japan, in April-May, to book the lone berth for India, will compete in the 69kg category while Shailaja (75kg) will be the reserve lifter.
Weightlifter Monika Devi, who was forced to give the Beijing Olympics a miss due to bungled dope test, has threatened not to take part in any national or international event until the officials who "wrongly accused" her of failing the test are punished. Monika, a 69kg category lifter, said she is a victim of politics in sports.
Weightlifter Monika Devi was on Saturday cleared of dope charges by Sports Authority of India but there appeared to be little chances of her taking part in the Beijing Olympics.
National Anti-Doping Agency Director General Navin Agarwal says all the Rio Olympics-bound sportspersons have undergone testing for banned substances and are dope-free. He, however, conceded that there were issues regarding testing of a few Rio-bound sportspersons as they were not available at the 'whereabouts' provided by them as mandated under the Anti-Doping Administration Management System (ADAMS) of the World Anti-Doping Agency, but NADA was able to get their testing done later on.
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