Sri Lanka to send 40-strong weightlifting team for Commonwealth Championship

Chinthana Vidanage won gold medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Melbourne (File Photo)    

By Susil Premalal

The Sri Lanka Weightlifting Federation (SLWF) has decided to send a 40-strong team for the 2021 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship. 

The world’s best weightlifters will be seen in action at the 2021 Commonwealth Senior, Junior and Youth Weightlifting Championship to be held from October 20 to 24 in Singapore. 

This competition will also serve as a final qualification for the 2022 Commonwealth Games which will be held from August 9 to 18 in Birmingham. 

The SLWF selected a 14-member elite pool in addition to a 55-member national pool in January. 

They will not have a separate trial meet to pick participants for the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship as a result of restrictions imposed due to Covid-19, but the national weightlifting selection committee hopes to pick 40 from these two pools, SLWF Secretary G. Nishanthan told the Daily Mirror. 

Meanwhile, a trial will be held on August 8 to select three of the best from six weightlifters. Twenty seniors (Men and Women), ten juniors (Men and Women) and ten youth (Men and Women) will head for the Commonwealth event. 
At least ten Asian competitors are expected to qualify from the Singapore tournament for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. 
In the history of the Commonwealth Games, Sri Lanka has won one Gold Medal for weightlifting through Chinthana Vidanage in 2006 in addition to four Silver Medals.