Odisha: National Weightlifting Championships to see participation of over 800 contestants

National Weightlifting Championship has started in Odisha's Bhubaneshwar on Sunday, where over 800 weightlifters will be participating from across the country. 

The event will last till March 31 and is believed to have some of the finest weightlifters across age and event categories as per ANI.

ANI quoted R Vineel Krishna, Sports Secretary of Odisha as saying, “We are very glad to be hosting this National Weightlifting Championship in Odisha, across categories. Weightlifting is a very important sport for India and has brought laurels for the country in the international arena.”

What is the competition about?

Krishna hoped that in the coming years, the youth of Odisha will bring honour to the country while the state government is working to improve the weightlifting environment in the state. According to ANI, “Even for Odisha, weightlifting is amongst a priority sport and I hope in the coming years, the weightlifters from our state will bring laurels for the state and country. We have also invested in 89 indoor multipurpose halls across Odisha where Weightlifting will be promoted and along with our Weightlifting High-Performance Centre will collectively boost the weightlifting ecosystem in the state,” said Krishna.

This competition is all about the qualifier for the 5th edition of the 'Khelo India Youth Games, 2022' which is scheduled to be held later this year. This will also be considered a Selection Trial for the IWF Youth and Junior World Championships both for eligible lifters. “For the first time in the history of this Championship, it has been decided that first, second and third prizes will be given to the athletes in all categories. The first, second, and third place winners will be awarded Rs 10,000, Rs. 5000, and Rs. 3000 respectively,” said Sahadev Yadav, President, IWLF as per ANI. Moreover, the President suggested participants stay away from doping and wished them all the very best for the event. The competition will be held in 10 different Weight Categories for Youth (Boys & Girls), Junior & Seniors (Men & Women).

Image: Twitter/@sports_odisha