The Hindu : Sport : Doping hearings of weightlifters put off until today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 26, 2006

Sport

Sport - Sports : General

Doping hearings of weightlifters put off until today

MELBOURNE: The doping hearings of two Indian weightlifters were adjourned until Sunday, leaving the Court of Arbitration for Sport little time to deliver its finding before the Commonwealth Games' closing ceremonies.

Directors have assembled a cast of Australian artists and performers to bring the curtain down on Melbourne 2006 and hand over to the New Delhi organizers for the 2010 event.

Casting a shadow

What promised to be a spectacle of Bollywood proportions at the changeover could be overshadowed by the findings in the hearings of Edwin Raju and Tejinder Singh — both who tested positive to the banned steroid Stanozolol two weeks ago.

Against a background of games officials being heavily criticised for covering up the drug cases until Friday — 13 days after the March 11 tests in Melbourne — Australian chef de mission John Devitt decided to speak out on Saturday to quash a rumour about a female medallist in his team.

``There was no positive test, we were asked to provide information of a competitor who was drug tested during the competition,'' Devitt said.

``We provided that information and the medical commission were very satisfied that the details we gave took care of the matter, and they will proceed no further.''

Seeks more time

Indian representatives asked for time on Saturday to prepare a defence for their weightlifters, who had already left Melbourne, and the CAS panel granted an extension.

Raju finished fourth in the men's 56-kilogram class at the Games and Singh withdrew from the men's 85-kilogram division.

India was hoping a gold medal on Saturday would give it a boost on the last weekend but, instead, was overtaken by Canada for third place in the medal standings.

The Indians were unable to replicate their surprising win at Manchester in the women's field hockey final, with Australian skipper Nikky Hudson's late strike the difference in a 1-0 victory.

The Australians will aim for a hockey double in the men's final on Sunday against Pakistan.

English boxers excel

In boxing, English boxers won three gold medals and Australia won two.

Flyweight Don Broadhurst and featherweight Stephen Smith claimed their titles the hard way before fellow Englishman James Russan won the light welterweight gold on a walkover when Moses Kopo of Lesotho withdrew because of a perforated eardrum.

The Australian winners were Jarrod Fletcher, who beat Canada's Adonis Stevenson 34-18 in the middleweight class, and heavyweight Brad Pitt, who outclassed India's Harpreet Singh.

Orlando aims high

Alexandra Orlando won the all-around rhythmic gymnastics title despite a wobble in the clubs.

The 19-year-old Canadian is aiming for five golds in Melbourne and already has two after Canada also clinched the team gold.

Orlando contests the individual rope, ball, clubs and ribbon finals on Sunday.

Orlando scored 54.625 points, with Malaysia's Durratun Rosli second with 50.825.

Rosli, 17, was competing at her first Commonwealth Games.

``I'm very proud because no Malaysian has ever got a second place in an all-around final,'' Rosli said. — AP

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail