2019 World Weightlifting Championship: When and where to watch

The 2019 World Weightlifting Championship is set to begin from September 18 and will conclude on September 27 with the seven-member Indian squad psyched up to make a mark in the marquee event. Former world champion, Mirabai Chanu will lead the Indian contingent as she made headlines after her gold feat at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The World Championship promises to draw attention in abundance, for it poses as a direct qualifying event for the Tokyo Olympics next year. A record total of 734 lifters will participate at the biggest weightlifting extravaganza in Pattaya. Ten weight categories will be contested in each gender, similar to that of the 2018 edition, which saw an increase in its participation by two times from eight in 2017. With medals awarded for the snatch, clean and jerk, and aggregate total, a total of 60 medals would be handed out. The Indian squad, comprising four women and three men, had left in batches at least thirteen days earlier so that they can adequately train and acclimatise to the grim conditions over there.

The quartet of Mirabai Chanu (49kg), the Commonwealth Championship gold medallist Jhilli Dalabehera (45kg), Sneha Soren (55kg) and Rakhi Halder (64kg) will represent India in the women's event, while on the men's side, the country's biggest medal hopes will rest on the Commonwealth Championship gold medallist Ajay Singh (81kg). Besides national champion Achinta Sheuli (73kg) plying his trade at the World Championship, there will be the Youth Olympic gold medallist Jeremy Lalrinnunga (67kg), who will mark his World Championship debut at a tender age of 16.

The media rights partners of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) is Star India for the live broadcast of the 2019 World Weightlifting Championship in the Indian territory. Star India has acquired the broadcasting rights and fans can catch the preliminary rounds of the tournament only on Star Sports and Hotstar. All the events will be live-streamed daily from September 18 until September 27. The matches will be aired live in India between 9.30 AM and 12 AM IST, allowing fans to catch weightlifting action at the prime time. One can also stream the matches online at the Olympic Channel.