India’s Bindyarani Devi Wins Silver at Asian Championships
Indian weightlifter Bindyarani Devi has grabbed a silver medal in the non-olympic 55kg category in the women’s event at the Asian Championships. The event was held on May 6, and saw Devi clinching the silver medal with a total effort of 194kg (83kg+111kg). The Commonwealth Games silver medallist had previously shifted back to her original 55kg weight division for the event after sustaining an injury ahead of the selection trials.
Devi performed skillfully, with a successful snatch of 80 kg and 83 kg on the bar in her first two attempts. However, her third attempt to lift 85kg was deemed a no lift. But despite the underwhelming snatch, Devi brilliantly covered up with her second-highest weight lift in clean and jerk, and managed to win the silver medal in the section.
The Indian lifter had earlier moved to the 59kg weight class that features in the Paris Olympics during last year’s World Championships where she could only finish 25th. However, her performance in the event has put her back in contention for the upcoming Olympics.
Separately, the Indian lifters who recently appeared at the Asian Championships have been aiming at a higher ranking for Olympic qualification. The competition was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan where Indian lifters were eyeing to raise their rankings before the Olympics. The top eight nations at the Asian Championships determined the allocation of quota places for the games.
