NEW DELHI: Karnataka weightlifter Satheesha Rai, who was earlier let off by the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) despite his second dope offence, has now been handed a life ban, apparently under WADA pressure.

Rai first tested positive for stimulant strychnine at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester and then caught for using steroid stanozolol at the National Games in Guwahati in February last year. Instead of handing him life ban after his second dope offence, the IWF in July had let off Rai without any punishment on the condition that he has retired from the sport.

But now, apparently on the intervention from WADA on the issue, the IWF reopened the case and handed life ban on Rai. Days after Rai was let off, WADA had sought a copy of the full decision of Indian Weightlifting Federation from the International Weightlifting Federation to review the reasons for the decision. IWF chief Harbhajan Singh told PTI Rai had been handed life ban.

"Satheesha has been handed life ban by the Federation," Harbhajan told PTI from Lucknow, but refused to be drawn into why the weightlifter's case was reopened after the Federation had let him off earlier.

Meanwhile, junior woman lifter and Pune Commonwealth Youth Games medal prospect B Prameelavalli has been handed life ban for a second dope offence during the Junior National Championship in Noida last month. "Prameelavalli's 'B' sample had also returned positive and she now faces automatic life ban," Harbhajan said.

Prameelavalli flunked an out of competition dope test by WADA before the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. She came out of two-year ban in March this year but tested positive for a steroid in the Noida meet again.

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