Now Soniya eyeing C’wealth Games gold

After doing the nation proud by claiming a gold in the Commonwealth Senior and Junior Weightlifting Championships in the 48kg weight category,promising weightlifter Ng. Soniya Chanu is now eyeing at a gold in the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held in India. Soniya is the only weightlifter from UP who was selected in the Indian contingent for the prestigious event held in Malaysia. Talking to The Indian Express over phone soon after landing in Chennai on Friday,Soniya confided,“ Winning a gold in Malaysia has definitely boosted my confidence level so if given a chance I will go all out to clinch a gold for my country in the Commonwealth Games too. Though talking of my international achievements,I have secured a silver in the 1st Afro-Asian Games held at Hyderabad in 2003 and a silver in the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2005 held at Melbourne,but now I am eager for claiming a gold at home.”

The UP weightlifter who hails from Manipur,is presently working with the Uttar Pradesh Police as an inspector. Discussing about the facilities offered to the weightlifters in UP,she says that equipments at the disposal of the weightlifters need upgradation. “ I am a product of SAI Centre of Excellence located at Sports College,Lucknow. Ever since I left Centre in 2005,I practice at KD Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium,Lucknow whenever I am not attending the national camps. The ‘Babu’ Stadium gym needs a tremendous overhaul. The equipments available there are not up to the mark as far as competing in international meets is concerned. The facilities available there are far from satisfactory,” she explains.

About the doping ‘ghost’ which has been haunting Indian weightlifting for quite sometime,the 29-year-old says that if the awareness level regarding medicines increases among players,then things will improve and being on the safer side,it will be best if players avoid medicines for small illnesses.