Asian Championships: Bindyarani Devi lifts spirits with silver

Jinju (South Korea), May 6

Indian weightlifter Bindyarani Devi was quick to make amends after an underwhelming performance in snatch as she clinched an overall silver in the women’s 55kg category at the Asian Championships here today.

Before the injury, I had improved my personal best but the injury affected my training and we wanted to take it easy. At the Asiad, I will win gold for sure. Bindyarani Devi

The CWG silver medallist lifted a total of 194kg (83kg in snatch, 111kg in clean & jerk) to open India’s account at the event.

Bindyarani also won silver in the clean and jerk section in the weight category, which is not an Olympics division.

“I’m happy with my performance today. I had injured my left knee before the trials. Once that was okay I had issues with my right one so my training was affected and I couldn’t give my best,” she said. “But today thanks to God my body was feeling good before the competition,” she added.

The Manipuri, who hasn’t been able to speak to her family back home due to the ongoing ethnic violence in the state, had two failed lifts — one each in snatch and clean and jerk.

Chen Guan Ling of Chinese Taipei won gold with a total of 204kg (90kg+114kg), while Vietnam’s Vo Thi Quynh Nhu lifted 192kg (88kg+104kg) to bag bronze in a depleted field.

The top lifters of the 55kg class have either bulked up or moved down the weight classes in order to qualify for next year’s Paris Olympic Games.

Bindyarani started off nicely, executing her first two snatch attempts of 80kg and 83kg with ease, but her 85kg attempt was deemed a no-lift. Her personal best in snatch is 86kg.

Placed fourth after the snatch event, the Manipuri covered ground by lifting the second-highest weight in clean and jerk. — PTI

Haven’t been able to speak to my family in two days: Bindyarani bemoans conflict

New Delhi: After clinching silver, Bindyarani wondered if the news of her achievement had reached her parents in the violence-hit Manipur.

More importantly, she was wondering if they were safe, for she hasn’t been able to speak with them for the past two days owing to the Internet shutdown enforced due to violence in her native state, rendering the people there incommunicado.

“I haven’t been able to speak to my parents for the past two days,” the 24-year-old said a couple of hours after her win.

“Har competition ke pehle mamma mujhe call karke ashrivaad deti hain par aaj aisa nahi hua (my mother blesses me before all my competitions. But today, I couldn’t speak to her),” she added.

The conflict has led to scores of deaths and many people have been injured. Nearly 10,000 army, paramilitary and central police forces have been deployed in the state.

“The internet is shut down, I haven’t been able to talk to them, I am scared. Even today, before going for the competition I felt like crying,” Bindyarani said.

Bindyarani, who belongs to the Meitei community, hails from Langol Ningthou Leikai on the outskirts of Imphal, which is very close to one of the flashpoints of the ongoing conflict.

The CWG silver medallist’s father is a farmer, who also owns a grocery shop. She also has a brother, a sister and a sister-in-law back home.

“There was no violence around my house the last time I spoke but now I don’t know what is happening. When I spoke to my family three days ago, at that time this issue was not so big. But now things have become quite bad.” Bindyarani said.

A lot of people of the Kuki tribe live near her residence and several houses have been burnt down. However, according to sources her house is safe.