World champion Manipuri Saikhom Mirabai Chanu may have to compete in the 49kg class in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics instead of her current 48kg category.
This is because the international federation recently decided to introduce new categories in the sport.
The Executive Board of the International Weightlifting Federation, in its meeting in Tashkent on July 5, decided to introduce seven weight categories for both men and women in the Olympics.
Also they want to introduce ten new classes for both men and women in other international championships.
The board’s decision was ratified a day later by the Congress of the IWF, which met just before the start of the World Junior Championships at the Uzbekistan capital.
The weight categories to be competed in the 2020 Olympics are 49kg, 55kg, 59kg, 64kg, 76kg, 87kg and +87kg for women while the men’s weight classes will be 61kg, 67kg, 73kg, 81kg, 96kg, 109kg and +109kg, reporst The Assam Tribune.
In 2016 Rio Olympics, the women weightlifters competed in 48kg, 53kg, 58kg, 63kg, 69kg, 75kg and +75kg while the men had 56kg, 62kg, 69kg, 77kg, 85kg, 94kg, 105kg and +105kg.
New weight categories were also introduced for the youth and junior categories.