Weightlifting coach Ramesh Malhotra attacks Malleswari

Suspended weightlifting coach Ramesh Malhotra,who has been accused of sexual harassment,on Monday hit back,alleging Olympic medallist Karnam Malleswari was targeting him for personal reasons....

Suspended weightlifting coach Ramesh Malhotra,who has been accused of sexual harassment,on Monday hit back,alleging Olympic medallist Karnam Malleswari was targeting him for personal reasons.

Malhotra also claimed that Malleswari herself had not been above board during her career,putting a question mark over her performances. There were strong allegations before the 2000 Sydney Olympics that,when the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) team reached the Patiala camp for random dope testing of athletes,Malleswari was selected to be one of the athletes. Instead,her younger sister Krishna Kumari (who resembles her) was sent for testing,and announced clean, he alleged. Malleswari won bronze in 2000,becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.

Malhotra also questioned Malleswaris refusal to complete her lifts at the 2004 Athens Olympics,saying with the kind of practice she had had,she could have easily finished on the podium. At Athens,she did not complete her lifts and returned to India within five hours of her event. That is possible only if she had pre-planned to leave immediately after the event. I was surprised to see that (on television). The way she was training at the camp,she should have done it easily, he said.

Malhotra also questioned Malleswaris decision to quit the camp when Egyptian coach Magad Salama wanted her to undergo a dope test. Ironically,Salama quit his job soon after.

Malleswari had alleged that Malhotra,a SAI coach for more than two decades,used to harass junior women lifters during camps. But Malhotra contradicted,saying Malleswari was only doing this for publicity. Maybe she wants to prevent me from getting the (Dronacharya) award. She has also targetted IWF secretary Sahdev Yadav. Perhaps she wants to get his chair, Malhotra said here. Meanwhile,the Sports Ministry issued instructions to withdraw Malhotra from the camp and named SAI secretary in-charge for the time being.