Monika Issue

Ban on national, international meets suspended:

Imphal, Sep 8: Giving a breather to the sportspersons of the state, the Coordinating Committee Against the Conspiracy to Exclude Monika from Beijing Olympics by Government of India has temporarily lifted the ban on participating in Zonal, National and International level competitions.
The decision was taken after a meeting of the Co-ordinating Committee at Khuman Lampak sports complex here on Monday, announced Manipur Olympic Association (MOA) president and the Co-ordinating Committee's convener Elangbam Binoy Singh while talking to mediapersons after the meeting.
"Since the Centre has responded to the people's demand by entrusting CBI to begin inquiry into the matter related to deliberate exclusion of Manipuri weightlifter Laishram Monika Devi from the Beijing Olympic squad, we have resolved to lift the restriction so that the State athletes can continue excel in sports and bring more laurels' Binoy said adding "Our players will fight for the sake of justice".
Stating that sports has become a mass movement and that it survives because of the people's contribution, the MOA president said the whole people of Manipur have shown their united strength in demanding justice.
However, the Committee may resume its restriction if the guilty officials involved in pulling out Monika from the Olympics are not punished, Binoy informed.
The whole of Northeastern region and Manipur in particular has been in turmoil after Laishram Monika Devi, who hails from remote Nachou village of Bishnupur district, was withdrawn from the just concluded Beijing Olympics on doping charge, though the charge was cleared afterward.
On August 11 last a public meeting organized by the Committee at Khuman Lampak sports complex here and the meeting resolved that athletes of the State should stop participating in all sporting competitions beyond the State until the Centre tenders an apology to the people of Manipur, stops all forms of discrimination against sportspersons and punishment of the guilty officials.
Endorsing to meeting resolution, sportspersons of the State skipped from various Zonal and National sports competitions in different disciplines including Hockey ( sub-junior), athletes (zonal), Judo ( national), Kabadi ( zonal at Imphal), weight lifting ( National) and Sepak Tekraw ( National) and Subroto under 14, Binoy said.
The State athletes will, however, get the chance to take part in the Eastern Zone Badminton Championship to be held at Meghalaya, the MOA president added.
Monika, who is currently in Manipur, has expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the Committee for struggling for her cause.
A rally will be staged at Imphal by representatives of various sports and students bodies in addition to Meira Paibi (women vigil groups) on Wednesday to exert pressure for bringing justice in the CBI probe and book the errant officials, the MOA chief informed.
On Wednesday last around one hundred womenfolk picketed Manipur Youth Affairs and Sports (YAS) office at Khuman Lampak sports complex demanding announcement of the Krishnamurthy probe report and punishment of the guilty officials.

Source: The Sangai Express

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Justice for Monika

CBI launches probe into Monika allegations
New Delhi, Sep 7: The CBI has launched an enquiry into allegations by weightlifter Monika Devi that she was barred from taking part in the Beijing Games because of deliberate lapses on part of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

The CBI registered the Preliminary Enquiry (PE) against "unknown persons" after a request was made by the Manipur Government to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for a thorough probe into the entire incident.

While during the PE, the CBI will summon records of IOA, Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the statement of Monika in front of the one-man commission set up by the Sports Ministry, it cannot go in for questioning of any individual till the case was converted into a regular case.

Monika, in her deposition before the T S Krishnamurthy Commission, had alleged that the actions of SAI as "unreasonable and malafide" and also that she failed to go to Beijing Olympics because of the "deliberate lapse" on the part of the IOA.

The weightlifter hailing from Manipur, in her petition had blamed the SAI for the whole controversy which led to her withdrawal from the Indian Olympic contingent just hours before her scheduled departure to Beijing.

"If the report (dope test) was at all positive, why did the SAI not inform the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) 48-72 hours prior to the departure as required under the provisions of WADA?" she questioned.

Monika said the SAI, being an institution, ought to have acted reasonably and fairly and the sports body's "ill treatment" to her was "highly condemnable".

"The actions of SAI were unreasonable, malafide as a result of which my reputation and career had been damaged for which SAI is to be blamed," she told Krishnamurthy in her written submission.

The weightlifter said a day after the news of her dope test report being found positive was published by media, the IWF on August 6 had received a letter from SAI which stated that out of the four tests conducted during the training period on June 6, June 29, July 15 and July 28, the report of the test conducted on June 6 was found to be positive without mentioning the name of any prohibited drug.

The CBI would be examining all the test reports during its probe before deciding on whether the case could be converted into a regular case or not.
Source: Press Trust of India (PTI)

Earlier Stories:

Northeast sportspersons neglected: Monika

Monika's name not on 2010 CWG list

IWF chief denies probables list release

Biren seeks to allay fear