Sport - Weightlifting   

I am innocent, says Satheesha Rai

BANGALORE Aug. 8. ``I am innocent,'' pleaded Satheesha Rai, the ace Indian weightlifter who won two gold and a bronze at the recently concluded Manchester Commonwealth Games only to be stripped of the medals for `positive dope test'.

The 31-year-old Satheesha still looked dazed at the verdict. "I am still in a state of shock. It's beyond my imagination that such a thing will befall me,'' said Satheesha who returned to Bangalore only this morning. "I am yet to get in touch with the IOA or the Weightlifting Federation of India and shall know of the final result in a day or two. His wife Sneha was with the lifter, during the press meet hurriedly called by him.

``I have participated in over 16 internationals events including the Olympics and the World championships the Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games besides a host of Asian Weightlifting championships and SAF Games. And in all these Games too tests are mandatory and I have come through clean. Also just before the teams left for Manchester, Sports Authority of India (SAI) conducted tests thrice and unless it's negative we are informed,'' said Satheesha.

Satheesha, the winner of the Arjuna award (1999) and other honours, looked lost for answers to many queries, but said, "I have taken food supplements but fail to understand what the `unknown stimulant' was found after my test''.

Krishnan Madasamy was the first to be shorn of the three silver medals that he won in the 62 kg category. Madasamy however was tested for steroid 19-Norandrosterone, a metabolite of Nandrolone.

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

Sport

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

Athletics

• Chambers & Thanou the fastest
• Controversy hits Sri Lankan team
• Colourful opening ceremony
  
  Basketball
  
• Smooth sailing for IOB
  
  Chess
  
• Rameh gets second GM norm
  
  Cricket
  
• Sehwag shows what he is capable of
• Court restrains BCCI
  
  Football
  
• Chennai Customs in last four
  
  Golf
  
• Yusuf Ali hogs the limelight
• Irina leads by four strokes
  
  Hockey
  
• Dilip Tirkey to lead Indian team
  
  Sports : General
  
• Sport Digest
  
  Table Tennis
  
• Petroleum, Railways women in title clash
• Soumyadeep, Mouma get top billing
  
  Weightlifting
  
• I am innocent, says Satheesha Rai
  
  

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu