Ravi Kumar to lead Indian challenge in World Weightlifting

New Delhi: Commonwealth Games gold-medallist K Ravi Kumar will lead a 15-member Indian team in the IWF Senior World Weightlifting Championships to be held in Paris from November 1 to 15.

Ravi Kumar (69kg) had missed the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Cape Town in South Africa earlier this month to prepare for the World Championships. The World Championships assume significance as it is a 2012 Olympic qualifying event. Prominent lifters among the seven women include Monika Devi in 69kg and Matsa Santoshi (53kg), who had won gold in the Commonwealth Championships. Indian lifters had done exceedingly well in Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Cape Town by winning a whopping 110 medals, including 53 gold. But the World Championships will be a totally different ball game with the best in the world competing. In the last edition of the World Championships held in Turkey last year, all the Indian participants had finished at the bottom half of the results sheet. The Indian Team: Men: 62kg: Rustam Sarang, Yukar Sibi; 69kg: Katulu Ravi Kumar, Pasam Rambabu; 77kg: Gaurv Dubey; 94kg: Chandrakant Mali; +105kg: Sandeep Kumar, Rupinder Singh, Women: 48kg: Ngangbam Soniya Chanu, Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu; 53kg: Matsa Santoshi, Pramila Krisani; 58kg: Maibam Sunibala Devi; 63kg: Hijam Poireinganbi Chanu; 69kg: Laishram Monika Devi. PTI