India’s Bindyarani Devi upped her game to secure silver in the women’s 55kg category, giving the country its fourth weightlifting medal in as many categories at the Commonwealth Games here. Soon after Mirabai Chan’s gold, the 23-year-old set a Games record by lifting 116kg in the clean and jerk after a personal best of 86kg in the clean and jerk, which totaled 202kg on Saturday.
Adijat Adenike Olarinoye of Nigeria, who lifted 203 kg (92 kg+111 kg), won the gold medal as expected. She also broke the game record for catches and total effort.Local favorite Fraer Morrow from England won bronze with a performance of 198 kg (89 kg + 109 kg).”It’s my first CWG and I’m very happy with the silver and also with the games record,” said Bindyarani.
Like Chanu, Bindyarani hails from Manipur. She won gold at the Commonwealth Championships in 2019 before taking silver in 2021.The daughter of a farmer who also owns a grocery store, Bindyarani started weightlifting because of her short height.”I did taekwondo from 2008 to 2012, then I switched to weightlifting. I had a problem with my height, so I had to move. Everyone said my height was perfect for weightlifting. So I changed.”
Bindyarani was on target for the bronze medal after the snatch portion with a personal best of 86kg, behind Olarinoye (92kg) and Fraer (89kg).The Indian failed in her second attempt at 115kg before lifting a kilogram more to take her from bronze to a silver medal as Morrow fluffed her final attempt at 115kg.Earlier in the day, Chanu gave India its first gold, while Sanket Sargar and Gururaja Poojary won silver and bronze respectively.
