Indian weightlifter Bindyarani Devi wins silver at Asian Championships in non-Olympic weight category

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Indian weightlifter Bindyarani Devi has secured a silver medal in the women’s 55kg competition at the Asian Championships held on May 6, 2023. The Commonwealth Games silver medallist lifted a total of 194kg (83kg+111kg) to open India’s medal tally in this edition of the championship.

Bindyarani had two failed lifts – one each in snatch and clean jerk – but managed to secure the silver medal in the clean and jerk section. However, the medals were in a non-Olympic weight category. The gold medal was won by Chen Guan Ling of Chinese Taipei with a 204kg (90kg+114kg) effort, while Vietnam’s Vo Thi Quynh Nhu with 192kg (88kg+104kg) bagged the bronze in a depleted field.

The top lifters in the 55kg category have either bulked up or moved down weight classes to qualify for the Paris Games next year. Bindyarani was forced to switch back to her original 55kg weight division for this event due to an injury she sustained ahead of the selection trials. She had moved to the 59kg weight class, that features in the Paris Olympics, during last year’s World Championships, where she finished 25th.

Ahead of the tournament, head coach Vijay Sharma insisted that the aim is to make Bindyarani participate in the event, which is one of the qualifiers for the Paris Olympics, and peak during the Asian Games later this year. Under the 2024 Olympic qualification rule, a lifter has to compulsorily compete in the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 World Cup. Apart from these two, a lifter also has to participate in three of the following additional events: the 2022 World Championships, the 2023 Continental Championships, the 2023 Grand Prix 1, the 2023 Grand Prix II, and the 2024 Continental Championships.

Having competed in this year’s Asian Championships and last year’s World Championships, both Mirabai Chanu and Bindyarani now need to participate in one more additional event, apart from the two compulsory ones. The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) will publish the Olympic Qualification Rating (OQR) of each weight category at the end of the qualification period, and a weightlifter’s best three performances at the qualifying events will be taken into account for final assessment.

Overall, Bindyarani’s silver medal is a promising start for India’s weightlifting campaign in the Asian Championships and serves as a stepping stone for her qualification into the Paris Olympics.

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