Exclusive: I don’t think about any medal other than gold, says weightlifter Bindyarani Devi-Sports News , Firstpost

Weightlifter Bindyarani Devi poses with the silver medal that she won in the 2022 Commonwealth Games women’s 55kg weightlifting event. AP

Indian weightlifter Bindyarani Devi Sorokhaibam, who took part in her maiden Commonwealth Games in 2022, won a silver medal in women’s 55kg weightlifting final. However, Bindyarani is a bit disappointed that she couldn’t win gold.

In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, Bindyarani revealed that she was little sad after winning silver at CWG 2022 as she doesn’t think about clinching any other medal than gold. The 23-year-old also said that she will only aim to win gold medal in upcoming tournaments, including Paris Olympics in 2024.

Excerpts:

It was your maiden Commonwealth Games. Did you feel the pressure of competing at such big stage?

No, there was no pressure. Everyone helped me during training and I got more than expected support during CWG 2022 in Birmingham.

What expectations you had from yourself when you were selected for the CWG 2022?

My aim was to win gold in Birmingham, but my opponent in the final (Nigerian Adijat Adenike Olarinoye) lifted just a kg more than me to finish on top of podium. I am little disappointed that I couldn’t win gold, but next time, I will give my all to win gold medal.

Also Read: Who is Bindyarani Devi? Dubbed ‘Mirabai Chanu 2.0’ clinches CWG silver

You wanted to be taekwondo player but became weightlifter. Why’s that?

I had to quit taekwondo due to my short height. I have played at national and international level in taekwondo and during my competitions, I realised that my opponents are much taller than me which give them advantage over me. Hence, I chose weightlifting, which I really liked.

You have been often been hailed as ‘Mirabai 2.0’. What do you want to say about that?

I was really surprised when my family members and friends told me that I’m being dubbed as ‘Mirabai 2.0’ after I won the World Championship gold medal in December 2021. But, I really got inspired by the name “Mirabai 2.0” and I thought to myself, “Even I have to win medals for India in major tournaments just like Mirabai Chanu.”

Mirabai has been my inspiration throughout my journey in weightlifting.

Coming from a humble background, you have faced lot of difficulties in your journey as a weightlifter. Please tell us more about it and how you kept going despite all the troubles?

I didn’t face any kind of pressure (financially) while playing Taekwondo as the sport doesn’t require much of monetary investment. However, I had to think several times before switching to weightlifting as it requires financial input for supplements and other stuff. I thought my parents can’t afford the expense of my training, but somehow they managed.

I used to take supplements in my diet but not properly in order to save money. However, SportsApp helped me financially and took care of my other needs related to weightlifting. I was able to improve my diet and training because of them.

What does the silver medal means to you and how do you aim to help your family now?

The medal has made my parents feel better. It has put an end to their suffering to a certain extent as I have also got the job in Indian railways. Now, I don’t have to take much pressure about money and I can focus on my training and diet.

What’s your next target?

There are many major events lined up like World Weightlifting Championships, Asian Games, Asian Championships and then Paris Olympics in 2024. My aim is to win gold in all the events. I don’t think about any medal other than gold.

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