New Delhi, July 16: Distraught after losing the lone Olympic berth to Monika Devi, woman lifter Shailaja Pujari today claimed she would have been a better bet in Beijing
Talking to reporters defying a gag order by the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF), Shailaja said if yesterday's selection trial in Bangalore was the yardstick, she had better chance of doing well in Beijing than Monika.
Shailaja (75kg) lifted a total of 236kg (106kg snatch 130 clean and jerk) at the repeat selection trials which should have placed her seventh in the latest rankings while Monika's (69kg) lift of 224kg (101123) ranks 15th.
Shailaja said though Monika won a silver and two bronze in the Asian Championship in Japan in April-May, the berth was won by team effort and if her performance at the selection trial was the basis then she should have been selected.
"I lifted 236kg, 12 kg more than Monika, and my total is seventh in latest world rankings and naturally I have more chance to perform better than her in the Olympics. I am not being able to digest why I was not selected," Shailaja said.
The selection trial was marred by controversies right from the beginning with IWF General Secretary B R Gulati being accused of taking bribes to get Shailaja selected after the first selection trial in Pune on June 29.
This led to the Sports Ministry ordering a probe into the bribery scandal and asking IWF to cancel the trials and select Monika.
Shailaja said Gulati told her that she was not selected because of the Ministry directive.
Bureau Report
