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Our Correspondent
Imphal, Aug. 7 (EMN): Two Manipuri weighlifters -- Saikhom Mirabai Chanu and Sorokhaibam Bindyarani Devi -- who made India proud in the ongoing Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022, were accorded a warm welcome on their return home on Sunday
On their arrival at the Bir Tikendrajit International airport, women, coaches, weightlifting body officials, local club members, well wishers and respective family members welcomed the two medalists by garlanding them and shouting praising slogans.
Sharing her feeling at the airport reception, Mirabai said, “I feel good this time as my performance is comparatively better this time than the 2018 records.”
“Besides it is also good that lots of people at Birmingham cheer for us during the competition. People might have seen it on TV,” she said.
Twenty-seven-year old Mirabai Chanu, one of India's top gold medal prospects, won the first gold medal for the country at the Birmingham CWG 2022 by finishing first in the women's 49kg weightlifting final. She lifted 201kg (88kg in snatch and 113kg in clean and jerk). She also won India’s first gold medal in the 2018 CWG at Gold Coast, when she finished first in the women’s 48 kg weightlifting.
On the other hand, 23-year-old Sorokhaibam Bindyarani Devi while attending a reception function at her Langol locality near Imphal narrated about her sports journey from 2008 by playing taekwondo and shifted to weightlifting in 2012 considering her height.
Bindyarani won India's 4th weightlifting medal after successfully lifting 86kg in the third attempt at the snatch round and a 116kg lift in the final attempt at the clean and jerk round in the women's 55kg category.
“Without delay I got selected for the India camp, won many medals in international events including this recent game,”Bindyarani said. “I did not know much about diet when I started playing. But now I know. But due to lack of support I’ve been struggling a lot as my parents are daily wage earners,” she added.