Commonwealth Games gold medallist Punam Yadav has been provisionally suspended by the Indian Weightlifting Federation for indiscipline, The Tribune reported.
Yadav, who won gold in the 69kg category at Gold Coast, reportedly left the camp at the Netaji Subhash National Institute of Sports in Patiala twice without permission and national coach Vijay Sharma complained to the IWF about it.
Yadav was earlier given a show-cause notice on April 18 for leaving the camp.
She was “categorically told not to leave the camp to keep in line with the discipline and decorum of the national camp.”
IWF officials said the 22-year-old’s chances of making it to the Asian Games squad look gloomy now. “She has worked hard in training in the last three-four years, but if she continues to miss the camp, it will be very difficult for her to make a comeback,” IWF secretary general Sahdev Yadav was quoted as saying.
In her suspension letter, IWF slammed Yadav for breaching the federation’s code of conduct.
The letter read: “You have repeatedly created indiscipline in the ongoing national camp by ignoring the guidelines of Indian Weightlifting Federation and violation code of ethics and code of conduct of Indian Weightlifting Federation for the second time within a span of 15 days which is not acceptable, and hence you are provisionally suspended from joining the national coaching camp till the period the reply to the show cause notice dated 18th April is received by the federation and settled for leaving the national camp on your own.”
The Varanasi-based weightlifter will now have to get a clearance from the National Anti-Doping Agency at her own cost before rejoining the camp.
“It is further submitted that in order to rejoin the national coaching camp at SAI, NSNIS, Patiala you have to undergo dope test at National Anti-Doping Agency, New Delhi under your own arrangements and expenses,” the letter said.
“It was further noticed that there is an infringement of whereabouts information clause of International Weightlifting Federation and World Anti-Doping Agency as you have also not submitted your exact whereabouts of the leave period which will be treated as missed whereabouts by the ADAMS,” Yadav’s letter added.
Just days after her triumphant return, unidentified assailants attacked Yadav and her family was attacked with bricks and stones in Varanasi while visiting a relative.