Mirabai Chanu to return to competitive action after 6-month injury layoff

Tokyo Olympics silver medallist lifter Mirabai Chanu will return to competitive action after a sixmonth injury layoff when she participates at the IWF World Cup to confirm her Paris Olympics berth on MondayThe World Cup is not only the final Olympic qualifying event but also a mandatory qualifier for the Paris OlympicsChanu who has been recuperating from hip tendonitis she suffered during the Asian Games in September last year has all but qualified for the Paris OlympicsAn appearance at the World Cup on Monday will be enough for her to seal her passage to Paris as the former world champion is ranked second in the womens 49kg Olympic Qualification Ranking OQR behind Chinas Jian HuiHuaUnder the 2024 Olympics qualification rules the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 World Cup are compulsory eventsApart from these two tournaments a lifter must participate in at least three of the following events iquest the 2022 World Championships the 2023 Continental Championships the 2023 Grand Prix 1 the 2023 Grand Prix II and the 2024 Continental ChampionshipsChanu has fulfilled the criteria She competed at the 2022 World Championship and the 2023 Asian Championships finishing second and sixth respectivelyAt the 2023 Worlds and Grand Prix II she did not heave the barbell due to her injury but completed all the necessary formalities to remain eligible for the Paris GamesAt the end of the World Cup the top 10 lifters who have met the criteria will qualify for Paris in their weight categoryThe best three performances at the qualifying events will be taken into account for final assessment and Chanus came at the 2022 Worlds where she lifted a total of 200kg 87kg113kgThe Manipuri lifter who has struggled with injuries in the past two years has registered an entry weight of 185kg far from her personal best of 207kg 88kg119kgBased on that she has been placed in Group B of the competition and is unlikely to be in medal contention The lifters who register the highest entry weight are placed in group A followed by B and so onAlso ReadWFI to function at no cost to government model if suspension is not liftedChinas Huihua and Tokyo Olympic champion Hou Zhihui who are fighting amongst themselves for a Paris berth have entered the highest entry weight of 210kg alongside Ri Song Gum of North KoreaThe last time Chanu competed was at the Asian Games where her campaign ended in agony The twotime Commonwealth Games champion suffered a dramatic fall on her back while attempting a clean and jerk lift leading to her hip injury She had to be carried out of the platformComing off a long injury layoff the 29yearold is unlikely to attempt the muchawaited 90kg snatch lift or improve her clean and jerk effortShe is coming back from an injury we will take it slow She has already qualified so no point stretching her here We want her to peak at the right time head coach Vijay Sharma told PTIChanu who struggles with a back issue that affects her snatch has been trying to breach the 90kgmark since 2020Commonwealth Games silver medallist Bindyarani Devi is the other Indian in the fray However she is competing in the 55kg event which is a nonOlympic weight classWith agency inputs