Lifter accused of demanding cash to compete

An Australian weightlifter has been accused of demanding A$5,000 ($4,900) to compete at an event where his participation was essential to allow his country to win a berth at the London Olympics. Australian Weightlifting Federation (AWF) chief Michael Keelan has levelled the accusation at Daniel Koum and said he and other team members had been forced to dig into their pockets before the weightlifter would compete. Cameroon-born Koum, who was not available to comment on Wednesday, had earlier denied the accusation to the Sydney Morning Herald. Keelan said the incident occurred at the Oceania championships in Samoa last week, which doubled as an Olympic qualifier and where the Australian men\'s team needed a good finish to win a place in London.from gulfnews.com