At the upcoming World Weightlifting Championships to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in September, the two-time medalist Mirabai Chanu will once again lead the Indian challenge.
As well, Commonwealth Games medalists Bindyarani Devi (55kg) and Achinta Sheuli (73kg), as well as Shubham Todkar (61kg) and Narayan Ajith (73kg), will be the other four in the 5-member team. Except for Todkar, the same team will also represent India in the Asian Games.
Though the tournament will mark Chanu’s return in Riyadh to competition after participating in the Asian Championships in May, where she finished in sixth place. Chanu and Bindyarani are currently in St. Louis, USA, for a 65-day boot camp under the guidance of Dr. Aaron Horshig.
“Mira is not injured; we are working on her strengths here. She will compete in the World and Asian Games. The Asian Games medal is the only medal she is missing,” national coach Vijay Sharma said in an interview. However, the busy schedule between the two events poses a challenge.” Sharma also said that the Asian Games medal is the only medal Mira doesn’t have, so she will compete in both events.
What do we know so far?
However, at the previous edition of the World Championships in December last year, Chanu, a former world champion, returned with a silver medal. Under the 2024 Olympic qualification rule, the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 World Cup are mandatory events. The World Championships, which are usually held in November or December, will kick off on September 4, while the Asian Games will kick off less than 20 days later on September 23 in Hangzhou, China.
In addition, lifters must compete in three of the following events: the 2022 World Championships, Continental Championships Championships, the 2023 Grand Prix I, the 2023 Grand Prix II, and the 2024 Continental Championships. The three best performances of the lifters in the qualifying tests will be considered for the final evaluation, respectively.