Will stop using Chinese equipment, says Indian Weightlifting Federation

The Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) will stop using equipment made by Chinese companies. IWLF Secretary General Sahdev Yadav said that the federation has written to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) on the matter.

"We don't need to wait for a reply to the letter, we have decided that we will not buy any equipment from Chinese companies," Yadav told IANS on Thursday.

The IWLF had ordered four weightlifting sets which consists of barbells and weight plates, from Chinese company 'ZKC' last year. While there have been murmurs that the equipment itself was faulty, Yadav said that chief reason is the country from where the equipment is coming from.

"We all know why everybody is against Chinese equipment. That is the only reason and we won't buy," he said.

The call to boycott Chinese goods came after the killing of 20 Indian Army soldiers on June 15 by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA). They were the first fatalities suffered by the Indian Army in a clash with the PLA since 1975 when an Indian patrol was ambushed in Arunachal Pradesh.

The Indian Army said that its soldiers went to the spot where the clashes happened without any animosity to check if the de-escalation agreement was being followed as promised, and were displaying friendly gestures to the Chinese side when they were attacked.