Rio Olympics 2016: Herculean task awaits Indian weightlifters Sathish Kumar and Mirabai Chanu

‘Nothing is impossible’ is the mantra the Indian weightlifting will be vehemently focusing on when they hit the weightlifting arena at the Rio Olympics beginning later this week. The two-member Indian weightlifting contingent comprising Sivalingam Sathish Kumar in the men’s section (77-kg) and Saikhom Mirabai Chanu in the women’s section (48-kg) will have a herculean task of not just ‘matching the best’ in the world, but also outstripping them to make a podium finish.

Interestingly, the Indian weightlifting contingent had a similar two-member squad comprising Katulu Ravi Kumar in the men’s section (63-kg) and Soniya Chanu in the women’s section (48-kg) at the 2012 London Olympics. For the stats-minded, Soniya Chanu finished a creditable seventh in the women’s 48-kg category, while Katulu Ravi Kumar finished fifteenth in the men’s 63-kg category.

Clearly, the 48-kg and 77-kg weight categories for women and men are seen as the brightest medal hopes for India, and it came as no surprise when the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) decide to send lifters from these weight categories to fill up their two Olympic quota places.

For Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, it will be an opportunity to improve on the seventh- place performance of state-mate Soniya Chanu in the women’s section (48-kg). Saikhom Mirabai Chanu enjoys her healthy rivalry with state-mate (both are from Manipur) Sanjita Chanu – in fact, at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu had to settle for the silver medal in the women’s 48-kg category behind gold medallist Sanjita Chanu.

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu

For her good, Mirabai Chanu has the experience of playing in two World Championships in 2014 and 2015 – at the 2014 edition in Almaty, she finished 11th and improved to 9th place finish in the 2015 edition in Houston, where Sanjit Chanu had to settle for the 14th position. Both Mirabai and Sanjita had taken part in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, finishing 9th and 10th respectively.

The men lifters have some healthy competition going between Sivalingam Sathish Kumar and London Olympian Katulu Ravi Kumar (he had taken part in the 63-kg category then). It may be recalled that Sathish had won the 77-kg gold medal at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, pushing Katulu Ravi Kumar to second spot in the same weight category.

Sathish was not picked for the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and Katulu Ravi Kumar was preferred over him and the latter finished 10th in the men’s 77-kg category.

There was fierce competition for an Olympic berth in the men’s 77-kg category and in the end, Sathish made the cut. Like Mirabai Chanu, Sathish has the experience of two World Championships in 2014 and 2015 – he finished 22nd in the 2014 edition and failed to secure any position in the 2015 edition.

With the experience of two World Championships, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, both Sathish and Mirabai know what to expect in Rio and must have prepared accordingly. One hopes that the duo will put up a blockbuster performance in Rio and serve a message that Indian weightlifting is very much alive and kicking.