Mirabai Chanu, Tokyo Olympics silver medalist, is a prominent medal hopeful for India in weightlifting at the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou. Despite being a newcomer in 2014, she finished ninth in the women’s 48kg event during her Asiad debut in Guangzhou. In 2018, she missed the competition in Bangkok due to a lower back issue, despite winning the Worlds title in 2017. Mirabai has since secured an Asian championships medal, an Olympic medal, and her second Worlds medal in the 49kg category. However, the 29-year-old athlete has had injury concerns.
Mirabai faced a hip issue during the Asian championships in Jinju, South Korea, in May this year. She has made two trips to the USA to train with physiotherapist Aaron Horschig to address the issue for the upcoming continental event. Mirabai and chief coach Vijay Sharma had hoped that a short stint in the USA would help her. But the problem resurfaced, and they had to make a long, unplanned trip. “First, the problem was on the left side; then, it appeared on the right side. The rehab took too long,” said Sharma.
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That forced Mirabai and Sharma to tweak their plans for load management. Mirabai, a clean and jerk World record holder, took advantage of the new regulation that allowed lifters to mark their attendance at the Riyadh World Championships, a mandatory qualifying event for the Paris Olympics, in September by opting to participate in the weigh-in without lifting weights. Altogether, 27 lifters, including Bindyarani Devi (55kg), opted for weigh-in only.
For Mirabai, who has a personal best total of 205kg and has been trying to touch the 90kg mark in snatch for some time, the original plan was to have a camp in Riyadh and test herself in the first segment of the competition in the World Championships.
“The last 30 days of training (prior to the Asian Games) will give an indication as to where she might finish in Hangzhou,” said Sharma. “If all goes well, Mira will definitely get us a medal.”
China’s Jiang Huihua and Hou Zhihui, Thailand’s Surodchana Khambao and Thanyathon Sukcharoen, and Japan’s Rira Suzuki might be among the leading competitors who could challenge the Indian.
If Mirabai succeeds in her mission of securing a medal in Hangzhou, then it will be a huge morale booster for her in the run-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Commonwealth Games and Asian Championships silver medallist Bindyarani, who aggregated 202kg in Birmingham last year, is the other member of the trimmed two-member Asian Games squad. She would have to give her best to be among the medallists.
Achinta Sheuli and N. Ajith (both 73kg) were not medal contenders but would have gained some valuable exposure had the Union Sports Ministry approved their names for the Games.
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