Weightlifting: Mirabai Chanu to lead Indian challenge at Asian Games

NEW DELHI: World Champion

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu

will spearhead the Indian

weightlifting

challenge in the upcoming Asian Games as the national federation named a five-member team on Friday.


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 are CWG gold medallist Sathish Sivalingam and Ajay Singh (both 77kg) and CWG bronze medalist

Vikas Thakur

(94kg).

In 2014 Asian Games, India had sent six weightlifters and returned without a medal. Mirabai had finished ninth in her category. This time though she is the favourite to win gold.

Squad:

Women: 48 kg Saikhom Mirabai Chanu; 63 kg Rakhi Halder

Men: 77 kg Sathish Kumar Sivalingam and Ajay Singh; 94 kg: Vikas Thakur.