Laishram Monika Devi (born 1 March 1983) is an Indian weightlifter from

Manipur Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...

who won the silver medal in the Women's 69 kg category at the

2006 Commonwealth Games The 2006 Commonwealth Games, officially the XVIII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Melbourne 2006 (Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm 2006'' or ''Naarm 2006''), was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth held ...

. Monika was originally part of the Indian squad for the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...

in women's 68 kg category but was dropped after the Weightlifting Federation stated that she was tested positive in a dope test. The Prime Minister's Office overruled this decision. Because the final list of participants had already been submitted to the Olympics officials, Monika could not take part in the Games.

2010 Commonwealth Games

After being cleared of doping charges, Monika competed in the Women's 69 kg category at the

2010 Commonwealth Games The 2010 Commonwealth Games (Hindi: 2010 राष्ट्रमण्डल खेल), officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Delhi 2010, was an international multi-sport event that was held in Delhi, India, f ...

where she won a bronze medal.

Controversy about doping and subsequent omission from Olympics

The Weightlifting Federation stated that Monika had tested positive in a dope test conducted in India prior to the Olympics. Subsequently, she was omitted from the Indian squad for the

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

. She protested, stating that the officials had been trying to discard her in favour of another weightlifter Shailaja Pujari. Because the statement from the Federation lacked any credibility, the Prime Minister's Office intervened and approved her participation in the Olympics. With the list of participants already submitted to the Olympic authorities, the Indian Olympic Association stated that Monika could not take part in the Olympics. Thus, she was omitted from the Indian contingent. In March 2009,

Press Trust of India The Press Trust of India Ltd., commonly known as PTI, is the largest news agency in India. It is headquartered in New Delhi and is a nonprofit cooperative among more than 500 Indian newspapers. It has over 500 full-time employees , including abo ...

(PTI) reported that Monika's B sample, which was sent to a WADA-accredited laboratory in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, also returned positive. The report indicated that she could be banned for two years. Monika reacted to this news by saying that she did absolutely nothing wrong. She alleged that there is a huge conspiracy to end her sporting career prematurely. Later, her family accused PTI of reporting incorrect information regarding the B sample result. A family member stated that Monika has not received any such reports yet.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Devi, Monika Indian female weightlifters Living people 1983 births Weightlifters at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Weightlifters at the 2010 Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for India Weightlifters at the 2010 Asian Games Commonwealth Games medallists in weightlifting Sportswomen from Manipur 21st-century Indian women 21st-century Indian people Weightlifters from Manipur Asian Games competitors for India Medallists at the 2006 Commonwealth Games