Overage lifters get certificates for participation

Confusion reigned as the four Indian lifters, who were disqualified from the second Asian Youth Games for being overage, were given participation certificates.

Confusion reigned as the four Indian lifters, who were disqualified from the second Asian Youth Games for being overage, were given participation certificates.

Reports from Nanjing, China, the venue of the multi-discipline competition, said that Chandrika Tarafdar (women's 48kg), Jyoti Mal (women's 53kg), Akshay Bhagwan (men's 62kg) and Manpreet Kaur (women's 63kg) were allowed to compete after the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) filed a written protest.

This is contrary to the Games' official website that had DSQ (disqualified) marked against the players' names. As per the rules of the competition, the four were found to be ineligible as their year of birth was 1996 instead of 1997.

This gesture of the hosts may bail out the WFI as otherwise it would have had to give an explanation to the sports ministry for the glaring administrative lapse.

Indian coach, Narendra Kumar, had in fact gone on record to say that some of the lifters had been disqualified before their events.

Since IWF secretary-general, Sahdev Yadav, had accompanied the team and is on his way back, the federation officials don't have a clear picture on the issue. "There is speculation, but nothing is concrete," said an official.

Unconfirmed reports quoted Ali Moradi, secretary-general of the Asian Weightlifting Federation, as saying that the executive board allowed the lifters to compete but barred them from the medal race. His statement lends credence to the fact that lifters born in 1997 or later were eligible to compete.

Fruitful day
Anjana Dhavalu Thamake clinched the third gold for India by winning the girl's 800m race on the penultimate day of the competition. Rochelle Macfarlane Maria picked up a silver in girls' triple jump while Garvit Batra in tennis singles and the women's squash team bagged a bronze each.

India have won 11 medals, including three gold and are placed ninth.