CHENNAI: Pesi Charu, 24, has not visited his village Chambang in Kra Daadi district of Arunachal Pradesh for the last two years. Instead, he chose to toil hard in Modinagar, Uttar Pradesh, for international weightlifting tournaments. The IWF World Championships, which began in Ningbo, China on Tuesday was on top of that list.
With the Worlds being one of the six events in period 1 of the Olympic Qualification System approved by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), a participation here would have given Charu an opportunity to earn crucial ranking points ahead of the 2028 LA Games. But it was not to be as Charu, who competes in the 65kg weight category, had to abandon his trip to China as he was offered a stapled visa by China Visa Application Service Centre in New Delhi. "The Indian government does not recognise stapled visas so the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) decided not to procure it," Charu told this daily.
The weightlifter got to know about it around 10 days ago and he was heartbroken. "This could have been my maiden World Championships. Besides, it's also in the Olympic Qualification System. Experience at the Worlds would have stood me in good stead ahead of the other Olympic qualifying events but I was helpless," he added
A petty officer with the Indian Navy, Charu competed in the Asian Championships this year but was not part of the national team for the 2026 Asian Games. And that was one of the reasons why he was waiting desperately for the Worlds. "It was painful. Mentally I was very disturbed when I got to know about it. I had that apprehension as Arunachal Pradesh athletes have suffered due China's policy in the past but somewhere I was also hoping of getting a proper visa. But now it's all over."
Charu is now focusing on the 1st IWF for LA28 scheduled in Doha, Qatar from December 7 to 16. "Now, I like to utilise this time and prepare for the Doha event. I have around 45 days to prepare for it. A good show there would help me in qualifying for the Olympics," he said. Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu will lead India's campaign at the Worlds. For the first time, the Manipuri lifter will compete in the 53kg weight category as the divisions (49kg and 48kg) she used to compete in in the past are no longer part of the Olympic programme for the 2028 Games. She has been placed in Group B in 53kg. Gyaneshwari Devi is another lifter, who will compete in the 53kg weight division, but she is in Group C.
Usha and Nirupama Devi are other two women lifters from India in the event. Both will compete in the 61kg weight category as per the entries on the IWF website. Usha is placed in Group D while Nirupama is in Group C. In the men's section, Lovepreeet Singh (+110kg), who won a silver medal at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, will be the lone representative from the country in absence of Charu.
