CWG 2022: Social media erupts on Bindyarani Devi clinching weightlifting silver
India won its fourth medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games on Saturday night. Bindyarani Devi scalped the silver in the 55kg category of weightlifting.
FollowIndian weightlifter Bindyarani Devi upped her ante and secured a silver in the women's 55kg category of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022 in Birmingham on Saturday night. As a result, she gave India its fourth weightlifting medal in as many classes. After Mirabai Chanu successfully defended her gold, the 23-year-old created a CWG record by lifting 116kg in the clean and jerk. In contrast, earlier, she raised a personal best of 86kg in the snatch division, totalling 202kg. The gold medal expectedly was taken by Adijat Adenike Olarinoye of Nigeria, who lifted 203kg (92kg+111kg), besides shattering the CWG record in snatch and total effort. Thus, social media erupted for the Indian.
Local favourite Fraer Morrow of England grabbed the bronze medal with an effort of 198kg (89kg+109kg). "It is my first CWG, and I feel pleased about the silver and the Games record," Bindyarani enunciated after the event. Like Chanu, Bindyarani also is a Manipuri. In 2019, she won the Commonwealth Championships gold before gaining silver in 2021.
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Daughter of a farmer who owns a grocery shop, Bindyarani took up weightlifting due to her concise height. "I was into taekwondo from 2008 to 2012. After that, I shifted to weightlifting. I had a height problem, so I had to shift. Everyone told me my height is ideal for weightlifting. So, I changed," she recalled.
Bindyarani was contending for the bronze medal following the snatch section, as she was behind Olarinoye (92kg) and Fraer (89kg). The Indian made an unsuccessful second attempt for 115kg before lifting a kilogram more, elevating herself to the silver medal position, while Morrow squandered her final 115kg shot. Earlier in the day, Chanu had provided India with its first gold, while Sanket Sargar and Gururaja Poojary had clinched silver and bronze, respectively.
(With inputs from PTI)
