SANTO DOMINGO (Dominican Republic), Oct 4: Nine Iranian weightlifters were banned from the World Championships after testing positive for excessive levels of testosterone, the president of the sport's governing body said on Wednesday.

''Nine weightlifters reported positive at very high levels of testosterone and, for that, they have been banned from participating in the worlds,'' IWF president Tamas Ajan said.

Ajan did not identify any of the nine who tested positive.

Iranian state-run television reported Tuesday that eight had been banned for two years and that the ninth was expelled from the sport for life, as was their Bulgarian-born coach, Georgi Ivanov.

The World Anti-Doping Agency tested all 11 Iranian weightlifters on Sept. 10, a day before they were due to compete in the World Championships.

Two-time Olympic champion and world record holder Hossein Rezazadeh was not among those who failed the doping tests and is scheduled to compete in the 105-kilo competition later this week.

Iran's weightlifting federation also was fined US$400,000 (euro315,333), the broadcast said.

Meanwhile, Li Hongli and Qiu Hongmei each claimed titles and hiked China's gold medal tally to 14 at the Weightlifting Championships. Li won the snatch in the men's 77-kilo class with a lift of 167 kilograms while Qiu took the women's overall 58-kilo title with a hoist of 237 kilograms.

Turkey's Olympic champion Taner Sagir took overall 77-kilo title with a lift of 361 kilograms, wresting the crown from defending champion Li, who settled for silver with 359. Armenia's Ara Khachatryan took bronze with 357.

In the snatch, Li held off Sagir, who lifted 166 kilograms.

—AP