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The extraordinary success achieved by RomelaBegaj could turn out to be a fake one, although officially, there is nothing that can prove it. The official page of the International Weightlifting Federation reports the last success of the Albanian weightlifter, RomelaBegaj, who won gold medals along with three other weightlifters, thus lifting the red and black flag in the USA. “The world champion, RomelaBegaj becomes the first Albanian sportswoman who wins the world championship title and second after YmerPamur, who secured the same success in 1972”. After the news published yesterday that Begaj had used prohibited substances, RomelaBegaj’s coach, GazmendHakcani, who is also her husband, reacted. He declared that Begaj is clean and had not used illicit substances. There are allusions which are also reinforced by him that this may be part of a game of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), which is looking to favor the American weightlifter, Ann Martha Rogers, who came second in clean and jerk style. “Romela is clean and her analysis indicate this. This is something which is being intentionally done by foreigners. We have decided to undergo test B”, Hakcani. This is the second time that RomelaBegaj results positive for stanozolol. With her appearance in the World Championship of Anaheim in the USA, RomelaBegaj came out second in the clean and jerk style and champion in the snatch style. The President of the Albanian Weightlifting Federation, ElezGjoza has considered the news that Begaj came out positive, as speculation and untrue. However, the results of the first test of the Albanian weightlifter have arrived last week, but they have not been made officially public. If it comes out that the sportswoman has used illicit substances, the Federation and the sportswoman have 18 days to appeal the case. The result of the B test is the conclusive result, which, if it is the same as the first one, it would penalize the sportswoman and the federation at the same time. Given that this is the second case, RomelaBegaj is risking to be expelled permanently, as she has just come back from a two year suspension.
Repeated case, more serious consequences
RomelaBegaj is the latest case of Albanian sportsmen who are put under accusation after achieving international successes. The 31 year old has also resulted positive 4 years ago in the World Championship of Kazakhstan. After the succeeding in international races, other sportsmen like Daniel Godelli, Arber Çerçizi and HysenPulak, also resulted positive; they lost their results and were seriously punished, by being suspended for a period of two years from sports activities.
