Mirabai Chanu Targets Next Year's Asian Championships To Return From Injury

Recuperating from the hip injury she suffered during the Asian Games, star Indian lifter Mirabai Chanu is targeting a return to action in the Asian Championships next year. This means like in the World Championships in September, she will only mark her attendance by completing the necessary formalities in the next Olympic qualifying event, which is the IWF Grand Prix II in Doha from December 4 to 14. She will not be lifting the barbell. The Olympic silver medallist, who had sustained the injury last month while competing at the Hangzhou Games, has been diagnosed with hip tendinitis.

"Mira has hip tendonitis, specifically an issue in her TFL (a muscle on the front of the hip that connects to the lower leg). But the problem is cured now," national coach Vijay Sharma told PTI on Friday.

"The doctor had asked Mira to rest for six weeks. She has started her rehab process in Patiala. She is 75 per cent fit now. She will start training from December 20," he added.

At the Asian Games, Chanu's hip had given up while trying to lift 117kg in the clean and jerk section. She had fallen to the floor while attempting the lift and had to be carried away.

The former world champion struggles from an imbalance problem that affects her right shoulder and back. Earlier in May, at the Asian Championships, a dodgy hip had forced her to skip the last two attempts, dashing her hopes of a medal.

"All her injuries are in some way caused by that imbalance issue. But she will fully recover (from the latest injury) by the Asian Championships and that will be her comeback event," Sharma added.

The Asian Championships, one of the Olympic qualifying events, are scheduled to be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from February 3 to 10.

Chanu, who competes in