India's weightlifters have been suspended from taking part in international competitions after four team members tested positive for banned drugs this year, the sport's world body said today.

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) named the four guilty lifters on its website as Prameelavalli Bodari, Shailaja Pujari, Edwin Raju and Tejinder Singh.

Raju and Singh tested positive at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, while Bodari and Pujari failed tests before the Games and were banned by the Indian body from making the trip to Australia.

The IWF will determine the length of the ban in May amid fears India may not be able to send weightlifters to the Asian Games in Doha in December and the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Both Tejinder and Raju had cleared three tests conducted by the Sports Authority of India's Dope Control Centre in New Delhi between December and February.

But the centre itself has been under a shadow in recent months after it failed a sample test given by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) under the latter's accreditation procedure.

Two women weightlifters, Sanamacha Chanu and Pratima Kumari, who failed the dope test at the Athens Olympics, had both been cleared by the same Dope Control Centre.

Indian weightlifting chief H.J. Dora said he will not appeal against the suspension.

"We have to draw a line somewhere," said Dora, who was the chef-de-mission of the Indian contingent at the Commonwealth Games.

"We have already decided to take strict action against anyone found guilty of doping and may even impose life bans on them.

"I feel sorry for the lifters who are innocent. They can't compete for no fault of theirs but we have to be very strict if we are to root out the problem."

AFP