India’s Asian Games weightlifting campaign may receive a setback as Commonwealth Games gold medallists S. Sathish Kumar and R.V. Rahul are nursing injuries and appear doubtful for the selection trials in Patiala on June 28.
Sathish Kumar bagged the 77kg gold with a total lift of 317kg, while Rahul won the 85kg lifting 338kg.
Both have been dropped from the Government’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) list because of their injuries.
According to chief National coach Vijay Sharma, Sathish is nursing back and thigh injuries, while Rahul has a thigh issue.
“Rahul is part of the National camp. When he starts lifting weights next week, we will know whether he will be ready for the trials.
“However, Sathish is not in the camp and I am not sure how far he has recovered,” Vijay told The Hindu from the ongoing three-week National camp in Shilaroo, Himachal Pradesh.
“Because of the introduction of the qualification criterion, which requires a lifter to return a top-six performance in the last Asian Games, these injured lifters cannot get the time they would have normally got.”
In the last Asian Games in Incheon, K. Ravi Kumar had finished 10th in the 77kg class with an aggregate of 313kg and Vikas Thakur had taken the seventh place in 85kg with a total of 327kg.
In case Sathish and Rahul fail to be fit for the trials, the Indian Weightlifting Federation will have to look for other options.
“We can find a replacement for Sathish, but it will be difficult to find one for Rahul,” said Sharma.
Sharma sounded confident about the prospect of the women lifters, including World champion Mirabai Chanu.
Vijay downplayed the recent hype surrounding Mirabai’s request to install a camera in her room at Patiala to foil any possible spiking of her food or drink.
“There was a discussion about such possibilities and she said it would be good to have a camera installed,” said Sharma.
