India's top women weightlifters are likely to undergo a two-month final phase of training for the Athens Olympics in Belarus in a bid to enhance the country's medal prospects in the mega event.
Sources in Indian Weightlifting Federation said that the selection committee of the Federation, meeting here on June 5, is likely to take a decision on shifting the final phase of the ongoing camp at the Sports Authority of India to Belarus.
A Federation official said the Athens-bound woman lifters are likely to leave for Belarus in the second week of June.
Chief coach Pal Singh Sandhu and foreign coach Leonid Taranenko, an Olympic medal winner from Belarus, as well as lifters themselves have made no secret of their keenness to have the final phase of training in Belarus.
"The foreign coach and myself have given our views to the Federation that we would like to have the final phase of training in Belarus, which is far more developed than us in the game of weightlifting and have produced a number of Olympic champions and world champions," Sandhu said.
"We think it (to have final phase of training in Belarus) will be better. If we go there, our chances of winning a medal might go up."
Based on the performance in the world championship last year, India has secured the maximum berths (four) for woman lifters at the Olympics.
All the four liftersN Kunjarani Devi, Karnam Malleshwari, Sanamacha Chanu and Prathima Kumariare training here in the camp. Sources said the Federation might select two more lifters for the Belarus camp.
On India's medal prospects, Sandhu said: "We are hopeful of getting at least two medals", he said.
Asked if Kunjarani Devi and Malleshwari have a realistic chance of clinching a podium finish at Athens, the coach said:
"Yes, they have".
Malleshwari also supported the idea of a brief-training stint in Belarus.
"If you compare the weather and training facilities, it would be better if we go to Belarus. Athens is very near... just one-and-half hour flight from Belarus. Weather is almost same in both the places so naturally it will benefit us to some extent", the 28-year-old lifter said.
