News

Sports ministry, IOA refuse to bail out Indian Weightlifting Federation

A day after getting $500,000 fine, Indian Weightlifting Federation got another jolt on Saturday evening. The Union sports ministry and Indian Olympic Association have refused to help the ‘tainted' association. The decision was taken at a high power meeting between sports minister MS Gill and IOA chief Suresh Kalmadi in New Delhi on Saturday. Sources in the ministry revealed that Gill and Kalmadi felt that they should act tough with the association, which has a history of dope taint. "For now, we are not planning to extend any help to them," a ministry official told DNA. The Indian Weightlifting Federation had approached the IOA for help on Friday. The decision effectively means that any little hopes of Indian lifters' participation in the SAFF Games in Dhaka later this month have vanished. Indian Weightlifting Federation said it will call a meeting to take stock of the situation soon. "The committee will meet on February 21 in Udaipur and decide on how to raise the funds to pay the fine," Indian Weightlifting Federation secretary Sahdev Yadav said. He said it would be ‘unfair' to punish the country's lifters for the ‘sins' of a few. Yadav's predecessor BR Gulati endorsed his opinion. "Why should 60 lifters suffer for what six offenders have done," Gulati, who resigned recently after the latest doping scandal broke out, said. When asked if the federation could raise the money, Yadav said he had no clue. "Such a huge amount cannot be raised in three days (to enable the Indian lifters to participate in Dhaka Games which start on January 29). At our meeting in Udaipur we will decide on whether and how to pay the money." He revealed that the federation's coffers are virtually empty. As if the fine imposed by the International Weightlifting Federation wasn't enough, the fines of six offenders may also have to be paid by the federation. "If they don't pay from their pockets, it will become our responsibility," said Yadav. The international body recently banned Shailaja Pujari for life and imposed four-year ban on Vicky Butta and Harbhajan Singh Rajesh Singh, Sunita Rani, A Vijayadevi besides a fine of $5000 on each of them. (by

Iran introduces new Federation President to IWF

The new President of the Weightlifting Federation of Iran, Hossein Rezazadeh, paid an introductory visit to the IWF headquarters to meet the IWF President, Dr. Tamás Aján. The IRIWF delegation included Darab Riahi, Vice President and Afshin Riahi, International Director. In the discussions with the IWF President and staff they touched subjects of interest for the Federation: structural, organisational issues, new development, coaching and education, future events, etc. The new Federation expects to raise further interest and participation in weightlifting also through the enormous respect their Olympic Champion and multiple world champion President Hossein Rezazadeh enjoys within and outside Iran.

Iran stripped of right to host 2nd Islamic Solidarity Games

By Seyed Abdolhamid Ahmadi President, Sports Press Association of the Islamic Republic of Iran The Islamic Solidarity Games Federation (ISSF) located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has canceled this year's Islamic Solidarity Games which were to be held in Tehran in April. The ISSF had asked the Iranians to remove the words "Persian Gulf" from the medals and brochures however the games organizing declined. The second Islamic Solidarity Games were originally scheduled for October 16 to 30, 2009 but were postponed due to the swine flu scare. The 2nd Islamic Solidarity Games will be held from April 9 to 25, 2010 in a host country yet to be

No Time to Rest on our Laurels, Cautions WADA President at WADA Media Symposium

Lausanne, January 19, 2010 - On the occasion of the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) fifth Media Symposium, held at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, WADA's President John Fahey urged all parties involved in the fight against doping in sport to further intensify their efforts toward clean sport and not to succumb to complacency despite significant progress in the past decade.""The problem of doping has not disappeared with WADA," said Mr Fahey. "To rest on our laurels at this time would be a huge mistake." In his "State of Anti-Doping" speech, WADA's President expressed confidence that the evolution of the global fight against doping will bring further advances. "During the past 12 months, the global fight against doping in sport has continued to advance significantly under WADA's leadership and guidance," he said. "As WADA celebrated its tenth anniversary, 2009 reflected the positive impact of some of the innovations fostered by the Agency and showed a clear sign of the evolution of the fight against doping in sport." "Today," he concluded, "athletes who play fair in sport can have increasing confidence that major progress is being made in the fight against doping and that the net is closing around the cheaters. WADA will continue to work relentlessly to further close the net and meet the challenges in the years to come."

Iran’s national senior weightlifting championships ended and Fars became the champion

Iran's national senior weightlifting championships were held in Shiraz during 7th-9th of January 2010 with the participation of 177 athletes from 22 provinces and in the end Fars with 181 points became the champion and Ardebil took the second place. The championship results are as follows: 56 Kg category1- Majeed Asgaree from Hormozgan / snatch 103 Kg / clean&jerk 130 Kg / total 233 Kg 62 Kg category1- Sajad Behruzi from Fars / snatch 130 Kg / clean&jerk 163 Kg / total 293 Kg2- Jaber Behruzi from Fars / snatch 124 Kg / clean&jerk 156 Kg / total 280 Kg 69 Kg category1- Seyed Mehdi Panzovan from Karaj / snatch 140 Kg / clean&jerk 170 Kg / total 310 Kg2- Morteza Rezaeean from Fars / snatch 138 Kg / clean&jerk 168 Kg / total 306 Kg 77 Kg category1- Kianush Rostami from Kermanshah / snatch 155 Kg / clean&jerk 194 Kg / total 349 Kg2- Rasul Taghian from Isfahan / snatch 155 Kg / clean&jerk 188 Kg / total 343 Kg 85 Kg category1- Hamed Ebrahimi from Ardebil / snatch 152 Kg / clean&jerk 201 Kg / total 353 Kg2- Mehran Naseri from Khuzestan / snatch 160 Kg / clean&jerk 193 Kg / total 353 Kg3- Meisam Mohebi from Fars / snatch 158 Kg / clean&jerk 192 Kg / total 350 Kg4- Ahad Sanjabi from Kermanshah / snatch 160 Kg / clean&jerk 190 Kg / total 350 Kg 94 Kg category1- Yaser Dadvand from Ardebil / snatch 171 Kg / clean&jerk 205 Kg / total 376 Kg2- Seyed Mostafa Rajaee from Gilan / snatch 160 Kg / clean&jerk 207 Kg / total 367 Kg3- Shahruz Ghorbani from Ardebil / snatch 167 Kg / clean&jerk 197 Kg / total 364 Kg 105 Kg category1- Mohsen Beiranvand from Karaj / snatch 182 Kg / clean&jerk 225 Kg / total 407 Kg2- Mohamadreza Barari from Mazandaran / snatch 171 Kg / clean&jerk 224 Kg / total 395 Kg3- Javad Naderi from Khuzestan / snatch 180 Kg / clean&jerk 214 Kg / total 394 Kg +105 Kg category1- Sajad Anushirvani from Ardebil / snatch 192 Kg / clean&jerk 235 Kg / total 428 Kg Team results1-Fars = 181 Points2- Ardebil = 165 Points  (Mahmoud Abdollahi PR director)

New Zealand WF has a new interim President, Mr.Richard Dryden

Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand, has a new interim President, Mr. Richard Dryden. He is well known in the Oceania region and also the Commonwealth. He has been involved with weightlifting for many years both as an administrator and as a coach. Richard replaces Mr. Garry Marshall who resigned from the position as President in December. Garry had held this position for quite a number of years. The Federation also has a new Executive Officer in Mr. Terry Hughes from