The Sports Ministry on Tuesday directed the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) to immediately release Rs 1.75 crore interest-free loan to the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) so that it can pay the doping fine of US$ 375,000 to the international parent body before the August 31 deadline.
In a letter to the CWG OC, the Ministry expressed unhappiness that the IOA has not taken steps to "intercede" with International Weightlifting Federation to reduce the fine or reschedule the penalty payment so that the Indian weightlifters could take part in the Commonwealth Games.
It said the Rs 1.75 crore amount be paid against the approved budget of Rs 25 crore for development of sports under the Joint Marketing Agreement as provided under clause 261 of the Host City Contract of Commonwealth Games.
"The Ministry directs the Organising Committee of Commonwealth Games to release Rs 1.75 crore to Indian Weightlifting Federation directly as interest free loan with a moratorium of one year. The release shall be made against the budget provided under the Joint Marketing Agreement. The repayment of the loan to IOA may be separately determined between IWF and IOA in due course," the letter signed by joint secretary Injeti Srinivas said.
"Since the last date for submitting entries for participation in CWG is fast approaching, the loan may be disbursed immediately pending all formalities. Loan of Rs 1.75 crore being given to IWF is not to be utilised by it toward payment of fine US$ 31,000 on individual weightlifters found guilty," said the letter addressed to CWG OC Chief Executive Officer Jarnail Singh.
If the Indian Weightlifting Federation does not pay the doping fine of $375,000 and an additional $31,000 for individual fines and 'B' sample testing charges, Indian lifters will be barred from taking part in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
For some time now, the IWF had asked IOA and the Ministry to give interest-free loan of around Rs one crore each to pay the fine. The Ministry had sent a letter a few days back to the IOA and CWG OC to negotiate with the international weightlifting body to reduce the fine or re-schedule the penalty payment.
"It is the primary responsibility of IOA to ensure Indian teams' participation in international events. The IOA as a premier body for sports has neither taken steps to intercede with International Weightlifting Federation nor responded to the Indian Weightlifting Federation's request for assistance in time," the letter said.
The Ministry said that it cannot accept a situation where Indian weightlifters would not take part in the Commonwealth Games which is to be held in the country.
"IWF has selected 15 athletes to participate in the Games and this issue (of non payment of fine) is resulting in general uncertainty amongst the players thus affecting their morale," it said.
"The Government of India cannot accept a situation where despite being a host country, the national teams do not participate in the Commonwealth Games," it added.
The letter said that non-participation of weightlifters in the Commonwealth Games would also likely to result to loss of medals.
"Non-participation of Indian weightlifting team (in the Games) is not only likely to result in India losing good number of medals, but also endanger the whole sport of weightlifting in the country.
"... Public interest will be served only if national weightlifting team is enabled to exhibit their sporting excellence in their home country in an international event," the letter said.
The Ministry also noted that the present weightlifting set up has no means to pay the "prohibitive" fine amount.
"The new set-up of office bearers is making sincere efforts to control the menace of doping and they have so far paid $125,000 in two installments by borrowing. The fine is so prohibitive that it is more than 10 times of their average annual budget and the federation has expressed their inability to repay any further amount within the stipulated time."
