Commonwealth gold-medalist Sanjita Chanu cleared of doping charge by IWF, demands answers and compensation

The International Weightlifting Federation has dropped the doping cost towards Indian weightlifter Okay Sanjita Chanu because of “non-conformities” within the dealing with of her pattern however the Commonwealth Games gold-medallist has additionally demanded an apology and compensation for the “trauma” she has endured.

The IWF made the choice primarily based on the advice of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The 26-year-old, who claimed innocence for the reason that starting, was knowledgeable in regards to the remaining verdict through an e-mail, signed by IWF’s authorized counsel Lilla Sagi.

“…WADA recommends – out of fairness to the Athlete – that the case against the Athlete based on the Sample be closed’,” the e-mail from IWF learn.

It stated that IWF was instructed by WADA on May 28 that there have been “certain non-conformities” on the time of the evaluation of Chanu’s pattern.

“As a result, the IWF has decided to withdraw the charges against the Athlete based on sample 159 90 00 and to close the matter,” it added.

Last month, WADA revealed that it had partially suspended the accreditation of a laboratory in Salt Lake City, the one which examined Chanu’s pattern, for a month in 2019 because of “non-conformities” regarding its paperwork.

“I am happy in the sense that I am finally and officially clear from the doping charges. But, what about the chances I have lost? Who will take the responsibility of the mental trauma I have been living with?” Chanu instructed PTI from Manipur.

“Who will take the responsibility for the mistakes that happened at every possible level? You put an athlete under suspension for years without a final judgment, and one fine day you send an e-mail saying that you are now free from charges?” she added.

Chanu stated the IWF has robbed her of the prospect to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics because of its callous perspective and it should challenge an apology and compensate her for inflicting her psychological harassment.

“Is this some kind of joke? Does IWF not care about the career of an athlete? Was it the intention of IWF to spoil my Olympic chances? Every athlete’s ultimate dream is to get a medal in the Olympic Games, and at least participating in the Games. For me, that chance had been snatched by IWF,” she stated.

“This is not how IWF is supposed to function. IWF must apologise and give a genuine explanation. The responsible body or organisation or individual must be penalised. I will go to higher authority and demand compensation from IWF,” she stated.

Chanu’s case, which has been marred by a number of anomalies and administrative goof-ups together with assigning two totally different numbers to the identical pattern, has been dragging since November 2017.

The Manipuri had examined positive for anabolic steroid testosterone carried out by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) previous to the World Championships in America in November 2017.

The laboratory outcomes of the exams performed had been handed to the worldwide physique on December 20.

Chanu, who gained a gold within the ladies’s 53kg class on the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, was then put below a provisional suspension on May 15, 2018 and her ‘B’ pattern returned positive on September 11 in the identical yr.

Her representatives then appeared earlier than an IWF listening to panel on October 18, 2019 in Budapest, Hungary. On January 22, 2019 her provisional suspension was revoked.

The IWF admitted to committing a mistake in giving the precise pattern variety of Chanu’s pattern in its report. The world physique had talked about two totally different urine pattern numbers in its communication of her dope test.