LAHORE, May 28: The Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWF) has urged its affiliated units, specially departments, to chalk out an effective policy to penalise those lifters who have used banned drugs and disgraced the country. Talking to Dawn, PWF secretary Muzaffar Ahmed Qureshi, said that the federation could only ban a player involved in using prohibited drugs but the department could take sterner action like termination of service or demotion.

Pakistan’s three gold medalists in the ninth SAF Games including Hasan Alam, Akbar (Wapda) and Alam Din (Balochistan) were stripped of their medals after they tested positive as a result of which the International Weightlifting Federation suspended PWF’s membership for one year, which ended on April 30.

But both Akbar and Hasan are still drawing all benefits from their departments, despite the fact that their suspension period will end on April 30 next year. “The federation can only use ways and means to convince the lifters not to involve themselves in drugs but it depends on players whether they feel their responsibility or not, but strict punishment from the departments could force them to refrain from such activities,” the secretary said.

He said that federation was not financially strong to conduct urine test before each competition. As no laboratory was available in Pakistan to conduct the test and getting it done abroad was very costly.

He pointed out that PSB’s annual grant was the main source of funds but that had been suspended almost one year before for non-implementation of the national sports policy.