New Delhi: Veteran weightlifters, including a few former Olympians, have criticised the selection of "dope-tainted" Deodutt Sharma as national coach to accompany L Monika Devi in Beijing Olympics, saying the choice smacks of politics.
Sharma has a tainted past as he was involved in the doping controversy surrounding Edwin Raju and G Damodaran.
Crying foul over the selection, Beijing Asian Games (1990) silver medalist Jyotsna Mukherjee claimed that Sharma does not have the credentials and he has used his political clout to get the nod for Beijing.
"Nobody in the country knows of Sharma who just began his coaching career after passing out from NIS, Patiala in 2006-07. The federation (IWF), thus, has ignored us once again.
"We have so many veterans - like Tara Singh, Anil Mondal, LK Das - who have represented India in Olympics...Why ignore them and send a coach who was involved in a doping controversy?" Mukherjee, an Arjuna Awardee in 1989, told PTI from Kolkata.
Another Arjuna Awardee claimed that Sharma is only a national participant and has never represented India in any international meet.
"This is absolutely unfair obviously there is politics involved in this. Sharma was suddenly included into national camp in ASI, Pune after passing out from NIS, Patiala," she claimed.
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