Senior National Weightlifting Championships 2022-23: Everything you need to know

The Senior National Weightlifting Championships 2022-23 for men and women got underway at the Ponjesly Engineering College in Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu on December 28, 2022, and will continue till January 07, 2023. The majority of the best weightlifters have decided to skip the tournament in order to prepare for three bigger events scheduled for next year. With the World Championships getting over in Bogota, Colombia, and three competitions – the Asian junior and youth championships, the Commonwealth (youth, junior and senior) championships, and the Commonwealth u-23 championships – all scheduled in New Delhi in July-August next year, the Nationals will be missing some of the stars, including 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games medalists Achinta Sheuli, Sanket Sagar, and Jeremy Lalrinnunga. However, the CWG 2022 medalists Harjinder Kaur, S. Bindyarani Devi and Lovepreet Singh will be participating in the competition.

One of the biggest names missing is none other than Tokyo Olympic and world championship 2022 silver medalist Mirabai Chanu. Mirabai lifted a total of 201 kg to win the Gold Medal which was also India’s third medal at the CWG 2022. Earlier, she had won the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Women’s 49 kg category. Mirabai is a two-time world championship medalist, three-time Commonwealth Games medalist (two gold and a silver). In the recently held worlds, she clinched the silver despite not being completely fit for the competition. She lifted a total of 200kg (87 kg snatch and 113 kg clean & jerk). Although Mirabai wont be competing, she is expected to be present at the venue to watch the proceedings for a day or two.

Read more: Twitter reacts as Mirabai Chanu gets past Olympic champion to clinch Silver despite injury

What the Secretary of Tamil Nadu State Weightlifiting Association Had to Say

“This is the second time Nagercoil is hosting the Nationals- the last time being in 2016. We were alloted the Nationals in February 2020 but due to COVID-19 we were not able to do it. It’s is a huge challenge to host a big event with around 1200 athletes, but we are ready,” said S. Shanmugavel, the Secretary of Tamil Nadu State Weightlifiting Association to Sportstar.