Para Powerlifter Sakina Khatun awaits SAI call

BENGALURU: Sakina Khatun is continuing to work out at her home gym even as she waits for a chance to return to her normal training routine at the

Sports Authority of India

's South Centre here.


Sakina, 30, the first Indian woman to win a gold in para events at the Commonwealth Games in 2014, was gearing up for the Tokyo Paralympics when the national lockdown saw her stranded at her residence just outside the

SAI

campus from March.

"It's getting difficult to continue training at home as I'm able to lift a maximum of 70kg and that too with great difficulty. While in SAI I used to lift till 90-100kg," Sakina told TOI. "I've written to the SAI officials to give us permission to return to the campus and I'm waiting for their reply."

Sakina, who won the silver medal at the Asian Para Games in 2018, is confident of making the Tokyo grade based on her world ranking. The top-8 athletes in each weight category of the World Para

Powerlifting

Paralympic ranking list as on June 27, 2021 will get a direct entry. As per the world rankings on March 10, 2020 Sakina is ranked 7th in the up to 41kg category and 8th in the up to 50kg class.

Sakina's coach

Farman Basha

said: "Sakina was training in SAI before she was locked out due to Covid-19 restrictions. Her current training is only good for fitness and local events but for Paralympics she needs to return to proper gym work at the earliest. It will become difficult for her to qualify if she continues to miss practice."

"Just before the lockdown, SAI authorities asked us to move into the campus. But during that time I slipped and fell and we had to delay our plans to get into SAI. We are now waiting for the green signal from the officials to return. Till then, we will continue to train with limited resources. We are literally quarantined at home now as we don't go out at all. One boy brings us all the essential items," he added.

Sakina applies for Arjuna again

Meanwhile, the powerlifter, who competes in up to 41kg & 50kg categories, has applied for the Arjuna award for the second straight year. With the Paralympics Committee of India (

PCI

) among the unrecognised bodies in the sports ministry's list, Sakina's name was recommended by Rajinder Singh Rahellu, Athens Paralympics bronze medallist and her coach Farman Basha, an Arjuna awardee.