Satheesha Rai could be first Indian banned for life

The lifter first tested positive at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games (wh-ere he won gold) and lately failed a random test that was carried out at the Guwahati National Games.

Rai was among the nine sportspersons who had tested positive for banned substances during the Guwahati Games in February this year, but he had requested for a B sample test in his presence. His B sample test was no different from the A test.

He now faces a provisional suspension before the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) ratifies the sanction of life ban. But before that he could be heard by an IWF panel. That is only a formality.

The route left for Rai is an appeal to the Court of Arbitration in Sport. But that has rarely yielded results favouring the athlete.

Rai, along with Krishnan Madasamy was tested in Manchester and were stripped of their medals. Rai had won two golds and one bronze medal and Madasamy three silvers.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA), after dilly-dallying for a while, finally announced the names of all the Guwahati Games cheats except Rai. Rai’s name was withheld because he had asked for the B test.

Though Manmohan Singh, head of IOA medical commission, refused to comment on the issue on Tuesday, IOA secretary-general Randhir Singh said it’s curtains for Rai. “His B sample test is also positive,” confirmed Randhir Singh.

Once the blue-eyed boy of the federation, Rai had represented the country in several international competitions, including the Asian Games and World Championships. A week ago, when The Indian Express contacted Rai, he had said he would speak on the issue of B sample later. But several attempts to reach him proved futile, as he was not answering the phone.

IWF secretary-general Balbir Bhatia later told this daily that he has no information on the issue.

In 2002, Rai had tested positive for a stimulant, and was slapped with a six-month ban. At that time too he had contested his positive test, denying he had taken any banned substance. He, however, blamed it on the food supplements.

Rai was bestowed with the Arjuna Award in 1999 and was projected as the best Olympic hope then.

THE FEDERATIONS’ BLUE EYED BOY

• Satheesha Rai has always shown promise, which was why he always got the nod of the selectors. And since his appearance at the international level in 1993, the Commonwealth Games had been a good medal hunting ground for Rai.

Rai had also excelled in the 1998 Commonwealth Ga-mes in Malaysia, winning one gold and two silver in 77kg category. In 2002 he won two golds, but was caught.

Then, fingers were raised when he evaded international dope testing officials at the Bangalore camp. He was among the seven lifters slapped with fines of $ 5000 for the offence.

For his participation in Melbourne, the federation even pleaded his case with the Commonwealth Games Federation officials. As per CGF rules, any athlete who tested positive will automatically be banned from the next edition.

HUMILIATION

• Rai and Krishnan Madaswamy had tested positive at the Manchester Commonwealth Games. Manchester episode was followed by more humiliation at the Athens Olympics.

Coaches like Pal Singh Sandhu along with his foreign assistant Leonid Taranenko of Belarus, were also banned for life for this.

So far at least three women lifters Pratima Kumari, Sanamacha Chanu and S. Sunaina have been slapped life bans by the country’s sports administrators. All have tested positive twice. The national federation was also banned from International competition for a period of one-year. In 2006, when four lifters tested positive in one calendar year, federation was again banned for taking part in International events.

RAI’S PERFORMANCE

• 1998 C’Wealth Games (Kuala Lumpur): 77kg — Snatch 147.5 kg (gold), Jerk 175kg (silver), Overall 322.5kg (silver).

• 2002 C’Wealth Games (Manchester): 77kg — Snatch 142.5 kg (bronze); Jerk 175kg (gold); Overall 317.5kg (gold).

• 2006 C’Wealth Games (Melbourne): 85kg – Snatch 146kg; Jerk 176kg; Overall 322kg (fourth).