CWG: Indian weightlifters win medals despite having no physios
Indian weightlifters Mirabai Chanu and P Gururaja delivered medals today at Gold Coast, but the system seems to have let them down at the ongoing Commonwealth Games. The color of their medals is different, but one thing common to their performances was that neither of them had a physio by their side to take care of their aches and niggles during a demanding day.
Mirabai Chanu wins gold medal at CWG
Mirabai Chanu (48kg) smashed snatch, clean and jerk and the overall Games records today to claim India's first gold of the ongoing edition, while P Gururaja (56kg) overcame a few nervy minutes to clinch a silver in the men's competition.
I don't have a physio with me: Chanu
"I don't have a physio with me here in the competition. He was not allowed here. I did not get enough treatment coming into the competition. There is nobody, we did tell officials but nothing happened," Chanu said after her record-breaking gold-winning performance that earned her a massive ovation from the fans here. "But we are trying and managing so far," she said.
Gururaja sustained multiple injuries, but didn't get any physio
Gururaja, the soft-spoken wannabe-wrestler-turned-weightlifter from Karnataka, also spoke about the problems he faced. "I've sustained multiple injuries. My physio is not here, so I haven't been able to get the treatment that I need for my knee and sciatic nerve," he said. Sciatic nerve begins in lower back and runs through to lower limb, making it longest and widest single nerve in human body.
We got a B category accreditation for the physio: IOA
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Secretary General Rajeev Mehta said the IOA cleared only those officials which were finalized by the Indian Weightlifting Federation. "Despite their late request, we got a B category accreditation for the physio, which at least allows him access to the athletes if not competition. It was IWF's responsibility to tell us which support staff they wanted," Mehta said.
