Center

Nepali weightlifter works hard for the Asiad

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-11-01 10:56

KATHMANDU - Kamal Bahadur Adhikari, the linchpin of the Nepali weightlifting is working hard to get back to his best form before the 16th Asian Games scheduled to be held in Guangzhou, China, on Nov 12-27.

Related readings:  Cambodia looks forward to participating the Asiad  Nepal bids farewell for 16th Asian Games players  Myanmar volleyball team to compete in Asian Games  Pakistan announces boxing squad for Asian Games

According to Saturday's Republica daily report, it has just been four months that he has started his regular training as he had to discontinue it for almost three months because of typhoid. He competes in the 69 kg weight category.

"I lost nine kilos due to the illness, which was a serious threat for my game," said Adhikari ahead of his departure for China on Friday.

"Coming back to my previous weight was very vital for my game and it took time. It was like starting from zero," he added.

Adhikari is the first Nepali weightlifter to bring home a gold medal from international tournament. He lifted 266 kg in total, to bag gold in the 10th South Asian Games (SAG) which was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Adhikari, who made his debut in the national level in 2005 lifting 235 kg in total, broke three national records at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 by lifting 263 kg in total.

Adhikari's coach Tilak Raut said, "Adhikari is almost back to his earlier form. His performance is now near about 95 percent. He will overcome remaining deficits during his 10-day training in China."

Adhikari will be training for 10 days along with Chinese opponents ahead of the Asian Games. He believes that his 10-day stay before the tournament will help him get acclimatized.

Adhikari, who made a history in Nepali weightlifting, was frustrated after he got disqualified in the 11th SAG, Dhaka, in clean and jerk event. He now wants to forget this and is hopeful in breaking the national record. "My main target is to enlist myself in the top 10 position," he said.

Adhikari ranked himself in the top 11 in the 15th Asiad, Doha. The task is not easy as Asia is the power house in weightlifting. According to Raut, Adhikari must face tough oppositions from strong contenders including Iran, China, Japan, South Korea and so on.