After nat’l camp axing, lifter Jeremy set to be dropped from TOPS
Vinayak Padmadeo
New Delhi, July 6
Form, fitness and disciplinary issues have caught up with weightlifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga. Not only has he been axed from the national camp that started in the National Institute of Sports in Patiala on July 1, he is set to be dropped from the TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) development programme’s list as well.
Lalrinnunga, who won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the 67kg category, suffered a back injury two months ago and was supposed to go along with Mirabai Chanu, who injured her thigh, to St Louis in the USA to work with Dr Aaron Horschig, renowned fitness expert. A proposal to this effect was cleared by the Mission Olympic Cell under the TOPS scheme, but Lalrinnunga chose not to go to the USA. Instead, the Army Subedar stayed back and is yet to regain fitness.
After he failed to compete in the last two trials, the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) dropped him from the camp and he is currently training at the Army Sports Institute (ASI) in Pune.
“When he got injured, we told him to go to the USA. His expenses were cleared by TOPS but he refused at the last moment. When the athletes say no, we cannot force them to go,” IWLF president Sahdev Yadav said.
“We tried to explain the importance of the issue to him but he did not agree and that’s why we have taken him out of the camp and he is back training in Pune. He also did not give trials. His injury is such that he needs to take complete time off for almost two months. He missed both the World Championships and Asian Games trials,” he added.
Sources have confirmed that Lalrinnunga will be axed from the TOPS development group of athletes. “The Mission Olympic Cell is supposed to meet soon and he is most likely to be dropped,” said a source.
Mirabai big miss for India
Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu will sit out of the Commonwealth Senior, Junior and Youth Championships, to be held in Greater Noida from July 12. Currently in St Louis nursing an injury, Mirabai will be fit to compete at the World Championships and the Asian Games.
The World Championships will begin on September 4 in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh and the Asian Games will start on September 23 in Hangzhou. “Mirabai will not take part in the Commonwealth Championships,” Yadav said. “But she will be ready for the World Championships and the Asian Games,” he added.
