CWG Weightlifting: Coach optimistic of gold in remaining weight categories (Interview)

NEW DELHI - Indian weightlifting coach Harnam Singh is confident of a gold haul by the lifters in the Delhi Commonwealth Games and wants them to maintain their focus and concentration.

“I am confident (of gold). They all are capable and do not need to do anything extraordinary. They just require to maintain their focus and concentration,” Singh said here Tuesday.

Indian men and women lifters won four medals (two silver, two bronze) Monday, the first day of competitions in the Delhi Games.

I am not satisfied with silver or bronze as gold is always required to boost the morale of a player. I was expecting a gold medal from Soniya Chanu as she had done so much of hard work. But yesterday luck did not support her. She was speechless after the event and did not stop crying for a long time, the coach told IANS.

If other lifters repeat their performance of practice sessions, then sky is the limit for them, Singh said.

Soniya Chanu and Sandhya Rani Devi won India’s first medals in the Games Monday, picking up silver and bronze, respectively, in the women’s 48kg category.

Sukhen Dey and Srinivasa Rao Valluri also won silver and bronze, respectively, in the men’s 56kg category.

Gold was my aim but I do not know what went wrong. I had done a lot of hard work but still I missed the gold. Now I am looking forward to other tournaments and want to make a strong comeback, said Chanu.

Dey said: I tried my best but I could not clear the last lift successfully. Actually I could not maintain my balance and failed to give it the right finishing.

Indian weightlifters were on the verge of being banned by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) for drug abuse.

They made a virtually last minute entry to the Delhi Games after the Games Organising Committee loaned the Indian Weightlifting Federation $375,000 to pay the fine of $500,000 slapped by IWF over drug abuse issue. The deadline to pay the fine was Aug 31.

From our side, we are trying our best to keep our players dope-free. We are keeping a close check on the supplements and on medicines they take,” said Singh.