Famous Weightlifting Players in India

Weightlifting, commonly known as lifting is a very popular sport. In it, the contestants try to lift heavy weights attached to the steel bars known as barbells. Weightlifting requires a lot of strength and skill.

It is categorized into two events-the “snatch” and the “clean and jerk”. Until the 1972 Olympics, another event the “clean and press” or simply “press”, was also practised but was eliminated due to complications in judging.

The headquarters of Indian Weightlifting Federation is at New Delhi. The Federation is affiliated to the Indian Olympic Association (Delhi) and is also a member of Asian Weightlifting Federation (Tehran) and International Weightlifting Federation (Budapest). The present General Secretary of Indian Weightlifting Federation is Balbir Singh.

The International Weightlifting Federation banned the Indian Weightlifting Federation from participating in all international competitions for one year, as three Indian women weightlifters– S Sunaina, Sanamacha Chanu and Pratima Kumari, were accused of doping offences in various international competitions in a single year.

Few notable Indian weightlifters and their remarkable achievements are:

• Yumnam Chanu secured gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2006, in the Women’s 58kg category.
• Sudhir Kumar Chitradurga won the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2006, in the Men’s 69kg class.
• Pratima Kumari secured two gold medals at the Manchester Commonwealth Games (2002). She tested positive at a pre-Olympic anti-dope operation.
• Kunjarani Devi won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games (2006), in Melbourne in the 48 kg woman’s category.
• Karnam Malleshwari is the first Indian who secured an Olympic medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics at Sydney.
• Mohammed Asdullah won the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games (2006), in the Men’s 77kg category.
• Geeta Rani was the star at the Commonwealth Games (2006), as she won the gold medal in the Women’s +75 kg category.

• Famous Weightlifting Players
  Karnam Malleshwari	N. Kunjarani Devi