Weightlifting
Ajay Singh headlines Indian squad for Commonwealth Weightlifting C'ships
Ajay Singh will be headlining the Indian squad for Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships as big names skip the tournament.
Weightlifter Ajay Singh could give India the first medal of Day 4
New Delhi: Two-time gold medallist Ajay Singh will spearhead hosts India's campaign as Mirabai Chanu and other star weightlifters will skip the Commonwealth Championships, starting in Greater Noida on July 12.
This is the second time India will be hosting the tournament after successfully hosting it in Pune in 2015.
Big names such as Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu will miss the event as she undergoes rehabilitation for a thigh injury in the US, while Jeremy Lalrinnunga, Jeremy Lalrinnunga, Achinta Sheuli, and Bindiyarani Devi are also missing the event for various reasons.
In the absence of prominent names, the eyes will be on Ajay Singh, CWG medalist Lovepreet Singh, youngster N Ajith Kumar and veteran Purnima Pandey.
Commonwealth tournaments have been a happy hunting ground for Indian weightlifters, be it the Commonwealth Games or Championships, in the absence of big names like China and North Korea.
A lot of the lifters focus on the Commonwealth tournaments as a good performance in the tournaments gives them a job opportunity and better life.
Talking about hosting the event, Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) president Sahdev Yadav said," By hosting the Commonwealth tournaments, they remind us that we were their slaves."
"But we are hosting it because it's an international tournament, and the lifters, who come from poor families, get jobs based on the performance here," he added further.
The tournament will be held at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, from 12th-16th July 2023. A total of 20 countries and more than 250 weightlifters are expected to turn up for the Commonwealth Championships.
Indian Squad for Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships:
Men: Shubham Todkar (61kg), N Ajith (73kg), Ajay Singh (81kg), Amarjit Guru (89kg), VISHWAKARMA Jagdish (96kg), Harshad Wadekar (96kg), Harcharan Singh (102kg), Lovepreet Singh (109kg).
Women: Komal Kohar (45kg), Jhilli Dalabehera (49kg), Shrabani Das (55kg), Popy Hazarika (59kg), Nirupama Devi (64kg), Harjinder Kaur (71kg), Vanshita Verma (81kg), Purnima Pandey (+87kg).
