Jamshedpur, March 13: After showing their prowess in the domestic circuit, state women weightlifters are set to conquer foreign shores.

Sandhya Rani, Inao Devi, H.P. Chanu and A. Bijaya Devi have done well in the preliminary selection trial of probables held at Patiala on March 7 and 8. The lifters, who are employed with the CRPF in New Delhi, will now proceed to Budapest in Hungary later this month to try their luck in the final selection trials for the Senior Asian Weightlifting Championship.

“The lifters have fared well in the events before the selection trials,” said T.D. Roy, the secretary of the Jharkhand Weightlifting Association (JWA).

Roy also said that Sandhya, Chanu, Inao and Bijaya would also be in Jharkhand colours at the 34th National Games.

“Unlike the Guwahati Games, where some of our promising lifters remained scattered, this time we have managed to assemble them and are sure of their representing the state,” he added.

According to him, Sandhya won gold in the 48kg weight section while Inao finished fifth in the 53kg category at the national meet in Pune. Bijaya was also a gold medallist at the Guwahati Games while representing Manipur.

Roy, who also happens to be a national selector, added that the Senior Asian Weightlifting Championship is scheduled for Kazakhsthan next month.

Sandhya (48kg), Inao (53kg), Chanu (63kg) and Bijaya (69kg) had put up a splendid show during the preliminary trials. “We were really very impressed with their performance. The foursome are expected to continue with their show at Budapest,” he said.

Besides the women lifters, two of their men counterparts from Jharkhand — Manjit Singh and Gurmeet Singh — have been inducted in the core group of the Indian Weightlifting Federation.

“Both are very promising and we have included them in the core group for advanced training. They will also represent Jharkhand at the Games,” Roy said.

On the medal winning prospects during the Games, the JWA secretary said, though they had drawn a blank last time, they were confident of coming up with a good show on the home soil.

“We have assembled the lifters, who will be performing for Jharkhand. We have not allowed them to remain scattered and represent other states. This would have a positive effect on our medal-winning prospects,” Roy said.

He said two consignments of weightlifting equipment have already reached Jamshedpur while the third is expected to arrive shortly.

“We are presently awaiting funds from the government to conduct the third phase of coaching-cum-conditioning camp. Two camps held earlier have kept the lifters in good shape. We are very optimistic about better results at the Games this time round,” he stated.