Dehradun, Jan 31: Manipur’s star weightlifter S Bindyarani Devi set a national record in snatch en route to her gold medal-winning effort in the women’s 55kg category at the ongoing National Games here on Friday.
Bindyarani, a Commonwealth Games silver medallist, overcame an initial setback in her first attempt at 83kg in the snatch category.
She displayed remarkable resilience, lifting 88kg in her final attempt to break the national record.
She broke the record of 86kg held by Mirabai Chanu.
But Mirabai’s pet event is 49kg. She competed in 55kg only for a brief period.
Bindyarani’s dominance continued in clean and jerk as well, where she successfully lifted 107kg in her first attempt.
Though she faltered at 112kg in her second attempt, she bounced back with a 113kg lift in her last attempt.
Her total lift of 201kg was just one kilogram short of her national record of 202kg.
With this victory, Bindyarani now holds all three national records – snatch, clean and jerk, and total lift – in women’s 55kg category.
“I was well prepared, and I am happy with my performance. It is always nice to get a record in your name. It’s good that now both snatch and clean & jerk records are in my name,” Bindyarani said.
Adding to Manipur’s joy, L Nilam Devi secured the bronze medal, ensuring two podium finishes for the state.
Nilam, despite early struggles in snatch with two unsuccessful attempts at 80kg and 81kg, successfully lifted 81kg in her final attempt.
She showed strong form in clean and jerk, lifting 98kg and 101kg in her first two attempts before narrowly missing 104kg in her last attempt.
Meanwhile, Sharabani Das of Bengal claimed the silver medal, lifting 78kg and 81kg in snatch while excelling in clean and jerk with successful lifts of 102kg and 106kg before skipping her final attempt. (PTI)
