Sathish Kumar Sivalingam, K Sanjita Chanu to lead Indian lifters at Rio Olympics

Commonwealth Games champions Sathish Kumar Sivalingam and K Sanjita Chanu will spearhead the challenge of a 16-member Indian team at the Senior Asian Weightlifting Championship, which will serve as the qualification event for the Olympics, at Tashkent, Uzbekistan from April 21 to 30.

Sathish (Men's 77kg) and Sanjita (Women's 48kg) had won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in 2014, while Sukhen Dey (Men's 56kg), who had also bagged the top position at Glasgow, failed to make it to the team for the Asian Championship.

Men's team comprises nine lifters, which also includes Commonwealth Games silver medallist Vikas Thakur (85kg). Women's team, consisting of seven members, will have Glasgow silver and bronze medallists -- Mirabai Chanu (48kg) and Punam Yadav (63kg), respectively -- besides Sanjita Chanu, in action.

A 10-member support staff will accompany the 16 lifters during the crucial tournament.

India Team:
Men: Dipak Ramesh Mahajan (56kg), Gopal Anbarasu (62kg), Sambo Lapung (69kg), Sathish Kumar Sivalingam (77kg), Vikas Thakur (85kg), Ragala Venkat Rahul (94kg), Pardeep Singh (105kg), Gurdeep Singh (+105kg), Jaspreet Singh (+105kg).

Women: K Sanjita Chanu (48kg), Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (48kg), Sagolsem Thasana Chanu (58kg), Punam Yadav (63kg), Rakhi Halder (69kg), Kavita Devi (75kg), Sushila Panwar (+75kg).
National coach: Vijay Sharma, Chief coach (women): N Kunjarani Devi. 

PTI