Weightlifting
Mirabai Chanu to lead Indian Weightlifting squad at World Championships
Mirabai Chanu will spearhead a 5-member Indian team at the upcoming World Weightlifting Championships. Shubham Todkar is the one addition from the Asian Games team.
Mirabai Chanu with the first gold medal for India at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022.
Two-time medallist Mirabai Chanu will once again lead the Indian challenge in the upcoming World Weightlifting Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, scheduled for September.
Commonwealth Games medallists Bindyarani Devi (55kg) and Achinta Sheuli (73kg), as well as Shubham Todkar (61kg) and Narayana Ajith (73kg) will be the four others in a 5-member team.
This same squad, with the exception of Todkar, will also represent India at the Asian Games.
The tournament in Riyadh will mark Chanu's return to competition after her participation in the Asian Championships in May, where she finished sixth.
National coach Vijay Sharma told PTI, "Mira is not injured, we are working on her strength here. She will compete in the Worlds as well as the Asian Games. An Asian Games medal is the only medal she doesn't have, so she will compete in both events."
However, the tight schedule between the two events poses a challenge. The World Championships, typically held in November or December, will commence on September 4, while the Asian Games are scheduled to begin less than 20 days later in Hangzhou, China, on September 23.
Chanu, a former world champion, secured a silver medal in the previous edition of the World Championships held in December last year.
According to the Olympic qualification rule for the 2024 Games, participation in the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 World Cup is mandatory. Additionally, lifters must take part in three of the following events: the 2022 World Championships, the 2023 Continental Championships, the 2023 Grand Prix 1, the 2023 Grand Prix II, and the 2024 Continental Championships.
At the end of the qualification period, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) will publish the Olympic Qualification Rating (OQR) for each weight category. The lifter's three best performances from the qualifying events will be considered for the final assessment.
Indian Squad:
Women: Mirabai Chanu (49kg), Bindyarani Devi (55kg)
Men: Shubham Todkar (61kg), Achinta Sheuli (73kg), Narayana Ajith (73kg).
(With PTI inputs)
