CHENNAI: Out of 61 medals won by the Indian athletes at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, 22 were contributed by wrestling (12) and weightlifting (10). With shooting not among the chosen disciplines, wrestlers and lifters led India's charge at the previous edition helping them finish fourth behind Australia, England and Canada.
Indian weightlifters will have to up the ante this time around as wrestling is not there among the 10 disciplines selected for the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. But it will not be easy despite the lifting squad comprising Olympic silver medallist and two-time CWG champion Mirabai Chanu. Doping sanctions have hit the sport hard in the build-up to the tournament and forced the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) to field 12 lifters (seven women and five men). The remaining four weight categories will go unrepresented as those selected have been suspended for doping violations.
N Ajith (71kg), Sairaj Pardeshi (88kg) and Harcharan Singh (110kg) were banned for doping ahead of the CWG while woman lifter Vanshita Verma (86kg) was sanctioned for dope related offence. Ajith and Pardeshi were the strong medal contenders.
As many as 15 lifters competed under the India flag in 2022 and returned with 10 medals. The strength has been reduced to 12 and 11 of them have to win a medal to make sure India surpass the previous edition's tally. IWLF president Sahdev Yadav, however, is optimistic of team's performance at the quadrennial event. "We are expecting eight to nine medals," Yadav told this daily.
In fact, the chief of the national body claimed that the National Anti-Doping Agency tested lifters out-of-competition on their request as they wanted to make the sport free from doping menace. "We requested the NADA to test our athletes. Most of those, who got caught, were tested out-of-competition. This is the only way we can keep a check on dope cheaters. I am not thinking about the immediate after-effects and whether this will decrease our medal tally. Ifs and buts will always be there. The best part is we are cracking a whip on cheaters, which is the need of the time," he added.
Mirabai, the torchbearer once again
As has been the case for almost a decade, Manipuri lifter Mirabai Chanu will lead India's campaign. The 31-year-old ace lifter will be eyeing a hat-trick of gold when she takes the platform on Day 1 of the weightlifting event on July 26. In 2014 she made her CWG debut winning silver in the 48kg and since then she had pocketed a gold each in the two following editions (48kg in 2018 and 49kg in 2022). With the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) revising the Olympic weight categories, Mirabai will once again compete in the 48kg at the 2026 CWG.
Acclimatisation camp
Keeping the Games in mind, the IWLF has sent the selected lifters to Birmingham for a 25-day camp. National coach Vijay Sharma feels the camp has done wonders for the team. "We arrived in Birmingham on June 25. The camp has helped the lifters to acclimatise as well as adapt themselves to the new time zone," Sharma said . Like Yadav, he too is expecting a bagful of medals form his athletes. "I am expecting 9-10 medals. The colour of medals depends on the competition in each weight category. Each weight category will present different challenge. In some weight divisions, Malaysian lifters will pose a tougher challenge while in some Samoa athletes are good."
Speaking on the brightest medal hope Mirabai, he sounded optimistic but clarified that the focus is on the upcoming Asian Games. "She is fit and her preparations are good. But we are focusing on the Asian Games rather than the CWG. She doesn't need to peak in Glasgow as there is hardly 50 days between the CWG and Asiad."
India 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), Dilbag Singh (94kg), Lovepreet Singh (+110kg).
Venue: SEC Armadillo
Competition dates (may change)
July 26
Men: 60kg, 65kg
Women: 48kg
July 27
Men: 71kg, 79kg
Women: 53kg, 58kg
July 28
Men: 88,
Women: 63, 69
July 29
Men: 94kg
Women: 77kg, 86kg
July 30
Men: 110kg, +110kg
Women: +86kg