New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has intensified its support for Indian weightlifting with a combined investment of nearly Rs 1.95 crore towards international competition exposure and long-duration national coaching camps, as the country’s lifters compete at the ongoing Asian Senior Weightlifting Championships in Gandhinagar.

The government had sanctioned approximately Rs 70.45 lakh for India’s participation in the ongoing Asian Senior Weightlifting Championships being held in Gujarat till May 17, with an initial contingent comprising 22 athletes, six coaches, five support staff, and three referees for the continental event. The championships are seen as a crucial benchmark competition in the build-up to the 2026 Commonwealth Games and 2026 Asian Games.

Among the promising Khelo India Athletes competing in Gandhinagar are Bedabarat Bharali (79kg), Parv Chaudhary (94kg), Gyaneshwari Yadav (53kg), Sanjana (77kg), Maibam Martina Devi (+86kg), Charu Pesi (65kg), T Madhavan (71kg), Valluri Ajaya Babu (79kg), Abhishek Nipane (88kg), Komal Kohar (48kg), and Koyel Bar (53kg).

Alongside competition support, SAI has also approved two parallel elite national coaching camps running from April 1 to August 31 at Weightlifting Warriors, Modinagar, and the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports in Patiala. The 122-day camps, backed with ₹60.23 lakh and ₹64.75 lakh respectively, are aimed at preparing senior men and women lifters for major international events and qualification pathways linked to the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games cycle.

Ten athletes each are a part of the two camps being organised through SAI Lucknow and SAI NSNIS Patiala, respectively, until the end of August.

The twin-camp model is designed to ensure continuous training, recovery management, and technical monitoring over a sustained period, while allowing athletes access to specialised coaching and sports science support. The camps bring together India’s top weightlifters under a centralised system focused on improving consistency and medal readiness at the international level.

–IANS

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