NEW DELHI, April 10: India has banned weightlifters Edwin Raju and Tejinder Singh for life after the pair failed drugs tests during the Commonwealth Games.

Prameelavalli Bodari and Shailaja Pujari, members of the women's team, were also handed two-year bans.

“We will not tolerate drugs cheats and the bans are part of that,” said Indian weightlifting chief HJ Dora.

India has already been suspended from competing at global events and finds out the length of that ban next month.

The International Weightlifting Federation took action after the four positive tests and could impose a ban on India which would prevent them from sending a team to the Asian Games in December and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Raju and Singh both tested for banned steroid stanozolol in Melbourne but while Singh withdrew from the 85kg event Edwin finished fourth in the 56kg.

Bodari and Pujari failed drugs tests at a training camp ahead of the Games and did not take their places in the squad.—Agencies