Guwahati: Sambo Lapung, an ace weightlifter previously excluded from the trials for the 2025 Commonwealth Championship, has now secured a spot in the selection trials for the 2025 IWF Senior World Weightlifting Championships.
Alongside Lapung, three other athletes from Arunachal Pradesh, Kojum Taba, Markio Tario, and Balo Yalam, have also been named to participate in the upcoming trials.
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The Indian Weightlifting Federation announced that performances at the 2025 IWF Senior World Championships, scheduled to take place in Forde, Norway, will factor into the qualification process for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Lapung’s reinstatement followed swift action from Union Minister Kiren Rijiju. Bamang Tago, Secretary-General of the Arunachal Olympic Association, acknowledged the minister’s crucial support in addressing the matter.
Lapung’s earlier omission from the Commonwealth Championship trials triggered strong backlash and accusations of regional discrimination against the IWF.
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In response, the East Kameng Social Welfare and Cultural Organization submitted a formal appeal to Rijiju, calling the exclusion a significant breach of fairness and transparency.
The Arunachal Olympic Association also demanded an official explanation from the federation regarding the decision.
Lapung boasts a consistent track record, having clinched gold at the Senior National Weightlifting Championships in Chandigarh (2022), Itanagar (2023), and Himachal Pradesh (2024).
In a related development, three more lifters from Arunachal Pradesh, Tara Pungni, Tinku Golom, and Tayar Ronik, have earned selection for the 2025 Commonwealth Youth, Junior, and Senior Weightlifting Championship in Ahmedabad.
Notably, officials granted Tara Pungni an exemption from the selection trials set to take place in Patiala on June 29 and 30.
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