IWF asks PWLF to pay $10,000 fine or face suspension

KARACHI: International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has given a notice to the suspended Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWLF) to pay a fine of $10,000 by December 16.

This was revealed by the interim committee on PWLF headed by Brig (retd) Zahid Iqbal in a letter (Ref: Interim PWLF-IWF S.N-Fine Doping-1) to Secretary IPC on Saturday.

“It is dismaying that IWF vides letter dated 16 October 2023 has issued the subject notice to PWLF, which has already been suspended by the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), to pay USD 10,000 by 16 December 2023 and/or face the suspension,” stated the letter.

The letter added that the suspended PWLF was prevented from entering its athletes in any international event and was required to do the needful (pay the fine) by February 25, 2023, but it managed to evade this responsibility.

“IWF in its letter of 16 October 2023, has also denied any participation of Pakistani weightlifters and officials in international competitions/ event unless PWLF pays the requisite amount of fine.

This amount may escalate to USD 40,000 to 50000, after the announcement of decision by CAS/ITA, and the said/ responsible officials of suspended PWLF may suffer prolonged suspension and ban,” stated the letter by the interim committee.

The committee added that the suspended PWLF has approached Army and WAPDA for the payment of the fine on behalf of their weightlifters, Abu Bakar Ghani and Talha Talib, who were suspended by International Testing Agency (ITA) after they tested positive during IWF World Championships Uzbekistan in 2021.

“Irfan Butt, who is son of Hafiz Imran Butt, the suspended President of PWLF, was coach with the said players. He was later accused of administering doping onto the players and is under investigation of ITA,” stated the letter by the interim committee.

The committee further stated that Army and WAPDA have refused to pay the fine saying that the players committed the doping offences while they were either in the training camp organised by the suspended PWLF or when they were contesting the said competition under supervision of Irfan Butt. The committee highlighted that that four other weightlifters including three sons of Amjad Amin Butt, senior vice president of the suspended PWLF, are also under suspension and their case has been finalised by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).