Lifters to train despite Olympic ban threat
eightlifting Fiji will continue to train its athletes for the Olympics qualifiers despite investigations on the affairs of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF).
The investigation is said to have put weightlifters participation in the next year’s Tokyo Olympic Games at risk.
However, WF president Della Shaw-Elder said they had not received any formal information regarding the investigations.
“Right now, nothing has come about, like we have not received any emails, we are just reading it in the news, nothing has come up to the members, she said.
“As far as we are concerned we will continue to do or bubble in the Oceania and Fiji. We only know of the resignation of the president that has officially come.
“We will continue to prepare for the Olympic qualifiers and let the top level deal with that.”
There was a threat on weightlifting’s participation at next year’s Olympic Games.
This was after an independent report by Richard McLaren was thrust into the spotlight that presented a damning overview of Tamás Aján’s reign as IWF president.
The investigation team found that some US$10.4m (FJ$22.6m) in the IWF’s accounts was unaccounted for and that 40 positive doping tests were covered up while Aján was at the helm.
Ajan has denied any wrongdoing. “I found an organisation that had been subject for close to half a century to an autocratic leader who dictated through various control mechanisms everything that occurred within the organisation,” The 81-year-old Hungarian Ajan had been at the IWF since the mid 70s, serving first as secretary general and then as president from 2000 until his resignation in April. The 121-page report was both scathing and meticulous in detailing the massive scale of corruption within the IWF while it was ruled by Ajan, who used “the tyranny of cash” as his main control mechanism.
In the latest development, the International Olympic Committee’s executive board received an update on the situation of IWF.
The board took note that the information gathered in the independent investigation is now being further reviewed and addressed by the IWF Oversight and Integrity (O&I) Commission.
Back home, Shaw- Elder has also emphasised the importance of the safe return of athletes to sports after the coronavirus pandemic.
She said that all athletes needed to follow and abide by the new normal protocols of sports.
“The awareness is every important, we would like to take to every centres to ensure that we are practicing this norms, so that we do not have problems in the coming future.”
Meanwhile, WF has a new weightlifting satellite centre in Levuka that is headed by vice-president, Eremasi Qalibau.
Shaw-Elder has also welcomed Levuka athletes who wishes to join weightlifting Fiji.
“The process is in place, they need to remove themselves from the boycott and sign themselves back into into Weighlifitng Fiji.”
Weightlifting Fiji is still awaiting words Oceania championship dates.