Justice for Monika

Monika hopes for punishment to guilty:

Guwahati, Sep 3: Weightlifter Monika Devi on Wednesday said her soul would get peace if her compatriot Sailaja and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) top officials were punished by the inquiry committee.
Speaking here on the occasion of annual Abhiruchi Sports Day, Monika said, "I am innocent. I have been framed by the senior SAI bosses, who did not want me to go to Beijing Olympics. I have cleared, at least, 30 dope tests before. How come just hours before I was scheduled to leave for Beijing, news flashed on TV that I have tested positive?"
According to Monika, SAI Executive Director R K Naidu and Sailja ganged up to cook up the dope theory and successfully prevented her from taking flight to Beijing.
"They (SAI officials) are all thieves. Just because I got into the cleansing act and decided to do away with corrupt SAI coaches, they are now after me. SAI’s executive director (teams) RK Naidu and (SAI coach) Hansa Sharma are among others have all ganged up against me and implicated me," she added.
She rued that India missed a bronze, adding as the eventual bronze medalist of Beijing Olympic, lifted the same weight she used to lift generally.
"In the pre-Olympic trial, a fierce competition was organised by some army judges who have no knowledge of modern day women weightlifting and there Sailaja was made eventual winner. In fact, she had taken dope to enhance her performance. So far, she had failed five times in the WADA dope test and according to WADA rules, she should have been banned for life,'' she further informed.
Her home state Manipur was in turmoil over her denial and forced the Prime Minister to intervene. Currently, an inquiry was going on under the former Chief Election Commissioner Krishnamurthy.
The day is celebrated statewide at over 100 places 3 every year to celebrate the birthday of the first Asian Games gold medalist as well as the state’s first Arjuna award winner Bhogeswar Barua.

Source: United News of India