 "Asian Games 2018: Saikhom Mirabai Chanu to lead India's five-person weightlifting squad alongside Sathish Shivalingam")
New Delhi: Saikhom Mirabai Chanu will lead the Indian weightlifting challenge in the upcoming Asian Games with the national federation naming a five-member team today.
Mirabai, who won gold in the world championships last year and Commonwealth Games in April, will compete in women’s 48kg while Rakhi Halder has been named as the second women and will take part in 63kg.
The three men named in the squad are Commonwealth medallists Sathish Sivalingam (77kg) and Vikas Thakur (94kg), along with Ajay Singh (77kg).
In 2014 Asian Games, India had sent six weightlifters and returned without a medal and Mirabai finished ninth in her category. This time around, she is the favourite to win gold.
Squad:
Women: 48 kg Saikhom Mirabai Chanu; 63 kg Rakhi Halder
Men: 77 kg Sathish Kumar Sivalingam, Ajay Singh; 94 kg: Vikas Thakur.
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