Sport - Sports : General

Gill institutes enquiry into Monika affair

NEW DELHI: The Union Sports Minister, M.S. Gill, has instituted an enquiry into the circumstances in which weightlifter Monika Devi was not sent to Beijing for the Olympics.

On his return from Beijing, the minister had a meeting with Monika Devi and all others concerned regarding the issue and decided to institute an enquiry. The enquiry will be conducted by the former Chief Election Commissioner, T.S. Krishnamurthy.

“I have requested him (Mr. Krishnamurthy) to come to Delhi at the earliest to hold this inquiry, and to favour me with his report and recommendations at the earliest,” Mr. Gill said through an official release on Wednesday.

Monika had tested positive for an endogenous steroid and she was prevented from taking the flight to Beijing at the last moment leading to a controversy that is yet to die down.

The Indian Weightlifting Federation instituted its own panel to hear the lifter from Manipur and cleared her participation, though, by then, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA0 had withdrawn her name from the entry list and there was no way of re-entering her after August 7.

“As Sports Minister, while I am determined to set up an independent, technically proficient dope testing mechanism, which has credibility in the world, and towards which end I have taken certain steps already, I am also equally anxious that no sportsperson should suffer due to any laxity or delay on the part of this testing mechanism. While ensuring prompt and firm action in Monika Devi’s case, I am determined to ensure that such incidents do not happen in future. I want to assure all sportspersons that they will get full consideration and fair treatment from me at all times.”

It may be recalled that the Manipur Chief Minister had sought a CBI inquiry into the incident even as agitations have been going on in the State against the manner in which Monika’s case was handled.

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