Malleswari's absence robs Nationals of sheen

By Our Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM, JAN. 16. Railways, Police and Services are the heavyweights in the National weightlifting scene and all the three are confident of performing well in the 53rd men's and 16th women's senior National championships commencing here on Wednesday.

The next five days will provide a feast to the locals who will witness the senior National championships for the first time and that too at the modern Port Indoor Stadium.

The Weightlifting Federation of India would pick weightlifters from this championships for a camp to be held at Patiala or Bangalore in preparation for the World and Asian junior and senior championships and the Commonwealth Games, Mr. Gopal Khanra, member of IWF's ad-hoc committee and a former general secretary, said.

The top weightlifters of the country are here but the biggest name missing is Karnam Malleswari, the Sydney bronze medallist. The list of participants from FCI is without her name and many feel that lack of practice is the reason for her skipping the Nationals.

However, Kunjarani Devi, who was sore over missing the trip to Sydney, is here and fully focussed and the Police weightlifter should do well to renew her case. She was not allowed to talk to the reporters by her coach, Mr. Kamaldeep Singh, who pleaded that his lifter should not be distracted.

Kamaldeep was confident that his women's team, winner in the last championships held at Kalyan, would retain the title. His calculation is based on the fact that apart from Kunjarani (48- kg), the team boasts of Chanamacha Chanu (53-kg), who participated in the Sydney Olympics, Nandini Devi (53-kg), Nansita Devi (63-kg), Pratima Kumari (63-kg), Gitarani (75-kg) and Tikanaka Bala (48-kg) in its ranks.

Railways coaches-Mr. E. Karunakaran, Mr. A.K. Sirohi and Mr. Y.A. Prabhudas-were equally optimistic of retaining the men's team title, what with five of its eight lifters being internationals of repute. A.K. Pandiyan, Commonwealth gold medallist and a record holder in clean and jerk and total, T. Muthu, Commonwealth gold medallist, bronze medal winner in the Asian championship and an Olympian, both in 56-kg, M. Arun, bronze medal winner in 62-kg at the Commonwealth Games and a record in total, M. Gopalakrishnan (69-kg), A.K. Sandhu (105-kg) and Kishore Kumar (plus 105-kg). Karunakaran expects competition from the Police and Services teams.

Services, like Railways, contests only in the men's section and did not have a good outing at Kalyan, finishing fourth. However, its coach Mr. Harnam Singh is certain that his team will do well this time. K.D. Mondal (77-kg) is the only international in the team but the coach says there are many talented youngsters in the team to provide a good haul.

The Police men's team, which finished just ahead of Services in the last meet after winning the title in the previous edition, has some famous names. Dalbir Singh, an Arjuna awardee, will be a force to reckon with in the plus-105 kg, Sandeep Kumar, a former Olympian, will contest in the 69-kg category, Manjit Singh, a SAF Games gold medallist, would vie for the 105-kg gold while Jasvir Singh, sixth in the Asian meet in the 62-kg, is the other medal prospect.

Chanu said she was back in practice for the last one and-a-half months after falling sick on her return from Sydney. Though a knee problem and the climate in Sydney saw her performing poorly, she was looking forward to regaining her old form.

Andhra Pradesh's hopes rest on Karnam Krishnakumari, younger sister of Malleswari. She won the 58-kg gold in the senior and junior Nationals and the National Games in 1999 apart from bronze medals in the junior World meets in the previous years. She also performed impressively in the senior Asian and World meets in the same year and took a break in 2000. Krishnakumari wants to emulate her sister by winning a medal at the Olympics.

Mr. Khanra, who addressed a press conference along with Mr. Badeti Venkatramiah, secretary of the A.P. Weightlifting Association, said lifters from the newly-formed States would represent the former undivided States since separate State associations were not formed for these States. A total of 209 men and 92 women weightlifters from 28 States and institutions are taking part in the championships.

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