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The Ministry of Sports has withheld 20% of a regular grant to the Hellenic Weightlifting Federation, applying new disciplinary measures under the updated 2021 Anti-Doping Code by WADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Sports Minister Yiannis Vroutsis, representing the EU member states, supported these changes.
The Greek weightlifting federation’s total grant for 2025 is €240,042.62. With 20% withheld, the amount withheld is €48,008.52.
According to the revised measures, grants are partially or fully withheld if eight or more doping violations by athletes or figures linked with national sports federations are confirmed over a 12-month period.
The ministry imposed the new disciplinary measures on the Greek weightlifting federation after it was found to have been linked with eight doping violations from December 2023 to December 2024.
Four of these cases have been finalized, resulting in athlete bans ranging from 2 to 4 years. The other four have been announced, with penalties including bans from 10 months to 12 years, and temporary suspensions. [AMNA]
