World champion Mirabai Chanu is struggling from a nagging back injury and is in doubt for the 2018 Asian Games. The 24-year-old has not trained for the last six weeks and has been advised rest due to sustained pain in her lower back.
“We will only be in a position to take a call on the Asian Games participation next week,” Indian weightlifting team coach Vijay Sharma told Scroll.
“The injury is not serious, but it has been persistent. MRI scans and other tests have shown there is no damage to the discs and it appears to be a ligament issue,” he added.
“The pain is in the lower back and isn’t subsiding. There’s a spurt in the level of the pain when she trains,” he explained.
Chanu is one of India’s brightest medal prospects having recently won gold at the Commonwealth Games.
“It is a little baffling as we haven’t been able to ascertain the reason behind the injury, but we are positive that she will recover with rest and time. Hopefully, we can begin training soon,” Sharma added.