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Injured Mirabai Chanu's return to the weightlifting arena has been further delayed as the Olympic silver medallist is set to miss the Asian Championships in February next year.
Chanu, who competes in the 49kg weight class, is still recovering from the hip tendinitis injury she sustained in October while competing at the Asian Games.
The former world champion, who did not lift any weight at the ongoing IWF Grand Prix II, was earlier targeting to get fit by the Asian Championships, scheduled to take place from February 3 to 10 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
"I will not participate in the Asian Championship this time. Instead, I will participate in the World Cup," Chanu told PTI on Tuesday.
Under the Paris Olympic qualification rules, a lifter has to compulsorily compete in the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 World Cup, slated from March 31 to April 11 in Phuket, Thailand.
Apart from the above, the lifter also has to participate in three of the following events — the 2022 World Championships, the 2023 and 2024 Continental Championships, the 2023 Grand Prix I and the 2023 Grand Prix II.
Chanu, who is undergoing rehab in Patiala, is also planning to travel to the USA in February to work with Dr. Aaron Horschig, a former weightlifter-turned-physical therapist and strength and conditioning coach in the US.
Chanu has been consulting Horschig since 2020.
"Right now because of injury, I have not planned for a trip abroad. But most likely in February, I will travel to the USA to my physiotherapist to do muscle strengthening and some high performance training.
"I feel more comfortable with my trainer in the US to do training. He helps me a lot, my overall performance also gets better. A foreign coach is not needed. A good physiotherapist can help you train well," she added.
Missing the Asian Championships will not hamper Chanu's qualification chance. The 29-year-old is currently ranked second in the Olympic Qualification Ranking (OQR). The list will be updated after the conclusion of the Grand Prix II.
"I am still in rehab at Patiala. But I am trying my best to change the colour of the medal this time around and give my best for sure to make the Indian flag fly high in Paris."