New Delhi: Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu will be sidelined from the weightlifiting Asian Championships next month due to a shhoulder injury.
The former world champion sustained the injury in February during the National Championships and is currently on the mending table.
“Mirabai picked up a shoulder niggle during the Nationals. It is an important year with the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games scheduled back-to-back, and she cannot afford to take any risks,” a source told PTI.
India is likely to pick Komal Kohar as the replacement for the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist, who had won the 48kg gold medal at the National Championships in February.
Chanu lifted a total of 205kg (89kg+116kg) and was unsuccessful in lifting a 91kg in a snatch attempt.
Since Chanu has her eyes on the 2026 Commonwealth Games, to be rolled out from July 23 to August 2, to compete in the 48 kg category, she has decided to skip the Asian Championships.
Following the CWG, the 31-year-old would compete in the 53kg category at the 2026 Asian Games in October, whoch remains the only major competition she hasn’t won a medal.
The Asian Games is also a qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
India will be hosting the Asian Championships for the first time. The competition has been rescheduled for due to the ongoing military conflict in West Asia.
Initially it was scheduled to begim from April 1 to 10 but was pushed back to May.