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| Despite quota cut, Mirabai and Co chase Commonwealth gold rush | | |  GLASGOW, July 25: Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu will spearhead India's weightlifting campaign at the Commonwealth Games as the team seeks to overcome a doping-hit build-up and extend its dominant record at the quadrennial event.
India's medal prospects suffered a setback before the competition when its weightlifting contingent was cut from 16 to 11 after multiple doping violations. The latest casualty was Dilbag Singh (96kg), who was withdrawn earlier this week, further depleting the squad.
Despite the disruptions, India remains a dominant force in Commonwealth weightlifting, benefiting from the absence of traditional giants China and North Korea.
Indian lifters finished as the best-performing nation in the sport at the 1990, 2002, 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games and are the second-most successful country overall with 133 medals, including 46 golds, behind Australia.
The team topped the weightlifting medal table at the 2022 Birmingham Games with 10 medals, including three golds and three silvers, and another strong showing is expected in Glasgow.
While all 11 Indian lifters are considered capable of reaching the podium, only a handful are realistic gold medal contenders.
Chief among them is Chanu, who is expected to retain her Commonwealth crown without any difficulty.
The former world champion and Olympic silver medallist owns a personal best total of 205kg (89kg snatch and 116kg clean and jerk), comfortably ahead of the rest of the field in the women's 48kg category.
With the Asian Games less than two months away, however, Chanu said she would avoid unnecessary risks in Glasgow.
"Our main aim is the Asian Games, so my performance here will depend on keeping that in mind. I won't be pushing hard here and taking any risks," Chanu told PTI.
A successful lift in both the snatch and clean and jerk should be enough for the Manipur lifter to claim a third Commonwealth Games gold and fourth overall Commonwealth medal.
India will also look to Gyaneshwari Yadav (53kg), Rishikanta Singh (60kg) and M. Raja (65kg), all of whom are viewed as strong contenders for gold as the country aims to launch another successful weightlifting campaign despite the recent doping controversy.
Squad:
Women: Mirabai Chanu (48kg), Gyaneshwari Yadav (53kg), Bindyarani Devi (58kg), Nirupama Devi (63kg), Harjinder Kaur (69kg), Sanjana (77kg), Martina Devi (+86kg).
Men: Rishikanta Singh (60kg), M Raja (65kg), Ajaya Babu (79kg), Lovepreet Singh (+110kg). |
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