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Still basking in the glory of a Commonwealth Games gold medal, Achinta Sheuli knew no bounds last December, with sight fixed on what could have been a maiden World Weightlifting Championships medal. Yet, only a few moments before the occasion, he sustained a hamstring injury, and the road since then has been harsh.
The 21-year-old, hailing from a plebeian, if not dilapidated neighbourhood in West Bengal’s Deulpur, recently made a comeback at the Asian Weightlifting Championships in South Korea, but the performance was far from what he had expected.
With a 140kg lift in snatch and 165kg lift in clean & jerk, Sheuli recorded a total figure of 305kg – 11 kilograms shy of his Birmingham figure, and good enough only for the tenth place.
But speaking to The Quint from the national camp in Patiala, the weightlifter explained why the return was far from being a spectacle.
Having missed the opportunity in Bogota last year, Achinta is training for the upcoming edition of the World Weightlifting Championships, which will take place in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh from 2 to 17 September.
On being asked about his preparation, Achinta says “I am in a better condition now. The training sessions have been going well, and I feel I am ready for the World Championships. There is no target that I’ve set for myself, but I am confident of achieving a decent total.”
Although the two-time Commonwealth Championships gold medallist is confident of improving his tally from South Korea, Achinta has opted to stick to realistic expectations, as opposed to quixotic dreams.
Alongside Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, Bindyarani Devi and Ajith Narayana, Achinta forms the quartet of weightlifters who will be representing the tricolour at the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Here, however, Achinta is cautiously optimistic with his ambitions, as he says “I am ready to give my best at the Asian Games. As for the total (weight lift), I am confident that I will not only be able to match my Commonwealth Games number, but also surpass it.”
Whilst the 2024 Paris Olympics is a year away, Achinta, like perhaps the majority of athletes across the world, has already started his preparations for the pinnacle sporting event.
The qualification process, however, will not be a cakewalk. Unlike the Asian Games, where two weightlifters have been selected for the men’s 73kg category, only one lifter will make the cut for the flight to the French capital.
In his category, Achinta finds himself in a direct shootout with Ajith Narayana, but he feels the competition will not have any influence on their friendship.
That, although, is a concern for another day, as the pair, alongside Chanu, Devi and Shubham Todkar, prepares for the campaign in Saudi Arabia, which will mark the commencement of a busy, tedious, and should it all go to plan, rewarding phase for Indian weightlifters like Achinta.
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