New Delhi(Agencies): Cleared
of the dope taint, two-time Commonwealth Games gold-winning weightlifter
Sanjita Chanu will finally get the coveted Arjuna award which has been on hold
since 2018.
A Sports Ministry source
confirmed that Chanu will be conferred with the Arjuna award as per a 2018
Delhi High Court order, which directed the selection committee to consider her
and keep the decision in a sealed cover to be disclosed only if she was
absolved of the doping charges.
"Sanjita (Chanu) is
absolved of all the doping charges by the international federation, so we will
have to abide by the Delhi High Court order and consider her for the Arjuna
award," the ministry source told PTI.
After she was ignored for the
2017 Arjuna award, Chanu had filed a writ petition before the Delhi HC
challenging the decision to exclude her from the list of those recommended for
the coveted honour.
During the pendency of the
case, she tested positive for a banned substance in May 2018.
But the High Court, in its
order in August that year, directed the committee to consider her for the award
and keep its decision in a sealed cover, pending a decision on her appeal
against dope charges.
The International
Weightlifting Federation (IWF) dropped the doping charge against Chanu due to
"non-conformities" in the handling of her sample last month. The
Manipuri plans to seek compensation from the IWF for the "trauma" she
endured.
The IWF cleared her based on a
recommendation from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), following which the
national federation wrote to the Sports Ministry to comply with the High Court
order.
Indian Weightlifting
Federation secretary general also confirmed the development to PTI.
"It's confirmed, Sanjita
will get her 2018 Arjuna award," he said without getting into details.
The 26-year-old had won
back-to-back gold medals in the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games in the 48kg
and 53kg categories respectively.
She had also applied for the
recognition in 2016 and 2017 but was ignored on both occasions.
Chanu, who maintained she did
not commit the doping violation, was informed about the final verdict of the
IWF via an e-mail, signed by the world body's legal counsel Lilla Sagi. — PTI
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