Mirabai Chanu Will Have CCTV Security To Allay Doping Fears

World champion and Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Mirabai Chanu has pressed the panic button. The 23-year-old weightlifter from Manipur said she fears her food could be spiked to implicate her in a doping scandal, the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) stated on Monday.

To be on her guard, Mirabai has requested the Sports Ministry to install CCTV cameras in her room at the national camp.

World champion in the 48kg weight category, Mirabai is India's biggest hope for the upcoming Asian Games in Indonesia and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Mirabai's situation reminds us of the 2016 Rio Olympics fiasco when wrestler Narsingh Yadav allegedly declared his food was spiked in the national camp. The IWF is not taking any chances this time about Mirabai Chanu ahead of the Asian Games, to be held from Aug 18 to Sept 2.

READ:Who Is Mirabai Chanu? Know More About This Manipuri Sensation

Mirabai has been suspected and taken for 45 dope tests in the last four years, but her records came clean each time. So this time, the IWF has requested the ministry to install CCTV cameras. They would monitor locations like the training and dining halls as well as at other places where weightlifters meet outsiders.

“We have written to the Sports Authority of India and Sports Ministry to install CCTV cameras at the national camp at NIS Patiala so that we can know what is happening there. We don’t want any doping case from our weightlifters,” IWF Secretary General Sahdev Yadav told PTI.

“Mirabai has also written to the ministry through us to install CCTV cameras inside her room so that she can monitor who comes in and goes out of her room.”

“You never know somebody may just come in and put something inside her room or her food or drink while she is at the washroom or somewhere. She does not want to take a chance,” he added.

The Sports Ministry has assured the training premises will be secured since Mirabai’s starts training early next month. The weightlifters are currently training at the SAI Centre at Shilaroo in Himachal Pradesh. They will return to NIS Patiala on June 3.

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