Mirabai Chanu, Jeremy Lalrinnunga seek Toyko spot at Asian weightlifting championships
The continental meet is scheduled from April 16 to 25 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and will act as an Olympic qualifier.
Star weightlifters Mirabai Chanu and Jeremy Lalrinnunga will lead the Indian team at the Asian Weightlifting Championships to be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from April 16 to 25.
The International Weightlifting Federation Gold Level event will also act as an Olympic qualifying event for Asian athletes.
While Mirabai Chanu and Jeremy Lalrinnunga will take the floor in the women’s 49kg and the men’s 67kg categories, respectively, the meet will also see the 2018 Commonwealth Games champion Sathish Sivalingam compete in the men’s 81kg category.
Mirabai Chanu and Jeremy Lalrinnunga have all but sealed their place for the Tokyo Olympics later this year. A strong show at the Asian championships will not only help them strengthen their claim but also act as a perfect build-up ahead of Tokyo 2020.
The weightlifting competition at the Tokyo Games will see 14 competitors in each category. The top eight on the IWF world rankings charts, with a maximum of one lifter per nation, will gain a direct entry into the Olympics.
Five slots are allotted to the highest-ranked lifter from the five continents with the final slot reserved for the host nation.
While Mirabai Chanu — a former world champion — is ranked fourth in the 49kg weight division, Jeremy Lalrinnunga, the gold medallist from the 2018 Youth Olympics, is the highest-ranked Asian outside the top-eight. He is placed 22nd in the 67kg category.
Indian team for the Asian Weightlifting Championships
Men: Jeremy Lalrinnunga (67kg), Achinta Sheuli (73kg), Sathish Sivalingam (81kg)
Women: Jhilli Dalabehera (45kg), Sakhom Mirabai Chanu and Sneha Soren (both 49kg), P. Anuradha (87kg)