Vidanage banned for four years

Chinthana WASALA

Sri Lanka’s Commonwealth Games Gold medalist - weightlifter Chinthana Vidanage who was accused of taking a banned stimulant at the Asia Weightlifting Championships in China where he was placed fourth, faces a four year ban.

Vidanage’s four year ban was imposed with effect from May 13, 2011 by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) for using banned stimulant Methylhexaneamine, Sri Lanka Weightlifting Federation Vice President Poorna Kahingala said.

However, Kahingala said that this stimulant was included in the AWF’s list of banned substances at the start of this year and the SLWF did not expect such a tough punishment on Vidanage. However Vidanage has nine more days to make an appeal to the IWF.

Vidanage won the gold medal in the men’s 62 kg category weightlifting, Sri Lanka’s first weightlifting gold medal, in the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Australia.