New Delhi: The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) on Friday announced a one year ban on Indian weightlifters, to be effective till March 2007, preventing them from taking part in the Doha Asian Games slated for December this year.

The ban will come into effect from March 2006 when two Indian weightlifters ? Tejbir Singh and Edwin Raju ? tested positive for banned substance stanozanol during the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

The IWF has also imposed a fine of $50,000 on the Weightlifting Federation of India (WFI).

Shailaja Pujari was another lifter to test positive for the same substance during the pre-event national camp at Patiala.

As per the IWF rules, three positive cases in one calendar year invite ban for a country.

B. Prameelavalli was the fourth lifter caught doping and was pulled out of the Melbourne-bound squad at the last moment.