'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Asian champion Jhilli Dalabehera is all set to challenge compatriot and Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu at the World Weightlifting Championships. The 22-year-old has moved up to the 49kg category from 45kg, where she claimed Asian gold in April.
The Weightlifting Federation of India (WFI) conducted trials at NIS Patiala last week to select the team for the world championships. The competition is scheduled to take place from December 7 to 17 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Also Read: Mirabai Chanu's plans for World Championship
The competition will be important for the lifters as they plan for the Commonwealth and Asian Games. According to weightlifting national head coach Vijay Sharma, the world championships performance will be taken into account when selecting the team for the marquee events.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, he said:
“It will be an important competition for all of us. The world championships will give us an insight into our shortcomings. Also, the performance in Tashkent will be taken into account for selecting the team for Commonwealth and Asian Games.”
Mirabai Chanu has already joined the national camp but Sharma said they are not in a hurry to start training in full swing. For now, they are just conditioning her muscles to get back to competition level.
“She was away from weightlifting for so long that she lost some muscles. The Olympic medal certainly had kept on the road for long. Now, she is back in training and we are taking small steps. We are focussing on building the lost muscles again and conditioning. After this we will start putting the load.”
India’s team for World Weightlifting Championships
Women’s Team: Mirabai Chanu (49kg), Jhilli Dalabehera (49kg), Bindiyarani (55kg), Popi Hajarika (59kg), Harjinder Kaur and Lalchhanhimi (71kg), Poonam Yadav and Aarokiya Alish (76kg), Anuradha (87kg), Poornima Yadav (87+ kg).
Men’s Team: Jeremy Lalrinunga (67kg), Achinta Shayoli (73kg), Sarthak (55kg), Gururaja (61kg), Ajay Singh and Amarjeet Guru (81kg), Vikas Thakur and Jagdish (96kg), Lavpreet (109kg), Gurudeep Singh (109+kg).
