Indian weightlifters are poised to make a mark at the Asian Championships in Gandhinagar, using the event as a crucial stepping stone towards the Commonwealth and Asian Games.
Key Points
- India is hosting the Asian Weightlifting Championships, providing a home advantage for its athletes.
- The championships are crucial for athletes seeking qualification points for the Commonwealth and Asian Games.
- Mirabai Chanu will miss the event due to injury, placing focus on other experienced weightlifters.
- India has fielded a 16-member team, including both established and emerging talents.
- The tournament features over 170 athletes from 30 countries, including Olympic and world champions.
Indian weightlifters will look to capitalise on home support and build momentum ahead of a packed year featuring the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games when the Asian Championships begin here on Monday.
With the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games looming on the horizon, the tournament assumes added significance for athletes chasing qualification points and momentum at the international level.
India's Weightlifting Squad And Key Players
India will field a sizeable contingent, banking on a mix of established performers and emerging names to make an impression against a strong Asian field.
The biggest crowd-puller, Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu, will miss the event as she continues to recover from a shoulder niggle. Her absence leaves the spotlight on experienced campaigners such as Commonwealth medallists Bindyarani Devi, Harjinder Kaur and Lovepreet Singh.
Rising Talents To Watch
India has fielded a 16-member team with eight participants each in the men's and women's category, while an additional four athletes have earned participation slots as hosts.
The squad also includes a number of rising talents, with Bedabrat Bharali and Gyaneshwari Yadav regarded among the promising youngsters to watch during the week-long event.
International Competition And Key Rivals
In the last edition, India returned empty-handed with only two lifters taking part in the event in China in 2025.
Originally scheduled for April, the championships were postponed because of tensions in western Asia.
The tournament will feature a stacked field of over170 athletes from 30 countries, including guest nations Australia and New Zealand.
The competition will also feature several Olympic and world champions. China's Liu Huanhua, the reigning Olympic and world champion in the 102kg category, headlines the field.
Qatar's Fares Ibrahim, who won the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, will also compete, alongside North Korean world champions Kang Hyon Gyong and Ri Suk.
Squad:
Women: Komal Kohar (48kg), Gyaneshwari Yadav (53kg), Koyel Bar (53kg Guest), Bindyarani Devi (58kg), Nirupama Devi (63kg), Harjinder Kaur (69kg), Sanjana (77kg), Vanshita Verma (86kg), Marina Devi (+86kg).
Men: Rishikanta Singhchanabam (60kg), M Raja (65kg), Pesi Charu (65kg Guest), Ajith Narayana (71kg), Madhavan Thirumurugan (71kg Guest), Bedabrat Bharali (79kg), Babu Valluri Ajaya (79kg Guest), Abhishek Sureshnipane (88kg), Harcharan Singh (110kg), Parv Choudhary (94kg), Lovepreet Singh (+110kg).
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