CWG gold-medallist Punam Yadav dropped from TOP scheme

Indian weightlifting Punam Yadav has been dropped from the Union Sports Ministry's Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Scheme, despite making the country proud by recently picking up a gold medal in the 21st Commonwealth Games held in Gold Coast, Australia.

The axing comes after Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) warned Punam of disciplinary action. It was learned that Punam had failed to attend federation's camp and did not take the dope test on her return from the Commonwealth Games.

However, Punam's sister Shashi Yadav, in an exclusive conversation with ANI, insisted that the IWF's warning over disciplinary action and undertaking dope test was in English which is why they failed to understand it.

Shashi added that they should not be punished for their failure to understand the language.

"Indian Weightlifting Federation's warning over disciplinary action and to undertake dope test was in English, we couldn't read it. We must not be punished, request sports ministry to support us," Shashi said.

Due to indiscipline, Punam has also been excluded from the selected core group for the Jakarta Asian Games, which is slated to be held from August 18 to September 2.

Confirming the news, IWF secretary general Sahdev Yadav said, "Punam did not inform that federation that she would not be attending camp. When we asked her about her non-participation we didn't get a proper response from her. So, we have decided to expel her from TOPs and from the core group too."

Earlier, Punam made the country proud by bagging a gold medal in 69 kg weight category in weightlifting event of the CWG 2018.

Punam lifted 100 kg in snatch and 122 kg in the clean and jerk to finish with a total of 222 kg ahead of England's Sarah Davies (217 kg) and Fiji's Apolonia Vaivai (216 kg).

In 2014, Yadav clinched a bronze medal in the same weight category at the 2014 Glasgow Games.