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SAI accepts Magad Salama's resignation
Salama has been in touch with Egyptian Embassy in New Delhi since his resignation, though he has been staying here at NIS guest house.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has accepted Egyptian coach Magad Salama's resignation as coach of Indian wrestling team, sources said on Sunday.
Though there was no official confirmation, sources told that SAI has accepted Salama's resignation.
Salama has been in touch with Egyptian Embassy in New Delhi since his resignation, though he has been staying here at NIS guest house.
He is waiting for the clearance of his dues and air-ticket to go back to Egypt.
Salama had levelled serious allegations of weightlifters using drugs and had said the low attendance at the national camp, which was suspended for a while, was due to the lifters trying to avoid dope test.
The coach, who was selected from the pool of coaches of the International Wrestling Federation, said he had reported the matter to the international body also.
According to Salama, the Federation wanted him to select weightlifters in the age group of 30 to 35 years, whom he thought were not fit to compete.
He had said the weightlifters were not even 70 per cent as good as their previous best.
Meanwhile, the training camp for the Asian Championship in Japan in April, a qualifying tournament for Beijing Olympics, re-started today.
The camp was suspended by SAI last month in the wake of Salama's resignation and of the 55 probables selected in the junior and senior categories, only 19 junior lifters reported for the camp today.
The Indian coaches though said all the lifters would be present
National coach Hansa Sharma rubbished Salama's claim that the athletes were on dope.
"In case the foreign coach (Salama) had some problem, he should have attempted to solve it," she said.
"He shouldn't have levelled baseless allegations against athletes, giving a bad name to the Indian team," she added.
She said athletes and national coaches were backing Salama but he had something else in mind.
