Five from Odisha Selected for Commonwealth Weightlifting

Berhampur: Five weightlifters from the state, including three girls, have been selected to participate in the prestigious Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships (senior, junior, and youth) to be held at Apia, Samoa from June 4 to 9.

While Tikina Gopal and Minati Sethi will participate in the 53 kg and 58 kg categories respectively, in the senior women, Subhasmita Mohanty will take part in the 63 kg category in the youth girl`s championship, General Secretary of Odisha Weightlifting Association (OWA) Narayan Sahu said here.

Similarly, Arun Santa will participate in the 56 kg category in the Junior Boys championship, and Achyutananda Sahoo will take part in the 62 kg category in the Junior Men championship, Sahu said.

All these weightlifters had also participated in last year`s Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship held at Cape Town in South Africa and won several medals including gold.

There are 44 weightlifters 21 girls and 23 boys from the country selected to take part in different categories in the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship, said Sahu, who is also the vice president of Indian Weightlifting Federation.

Commonwealth Games gold medalist K Ravi Kumar of Odisha, however, will not participate in this event in view of the Olympics. Ravi Kumar and Soniya Chanu will represent the country in the Olympic Games to be held in London from July 27 to August 12.