Mirabai Chanu clinches silver at World Championship despite wrist pain
Bogota (Colombia)(PTI): Star Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu endured wrist pain to grab a silver medal at the World Championships and in the process beat Tokyo Olympics champion Hou Zhihua, here.
The Tokyo Olympic silver medallist, competing in the 49kg category, managed to lift 87kg in snatch and in 113kg in 'clean and jerk' for an overall effort of 200kg here on Tuesday night. The Indian finished behind China's Jiang Huihua, who won the gold with a total effort of 206kg (93kg+113kg) while her compatriot Zhihua took home the bronze medal with a total lift of 198kg (89kg+109kg).
It is Manipuri lifter's second medal at the World Championships, having won a gold in 2017.
"It's an emotionally proud moment for me to bring another world championship medal back home after five long years. The competition at the world championship is always intense with the best Olympian competing to at the highest level," said Mirabai after winning the medal.
"I had a wrist pain but I am always ready to push myself to cross the line for my country....I hope I'll be able to give India more of such moments preferably a Gold at the Asian Games and Paris Olympics as well," she added.
Chanu, who hurt her wrist during a training session in September, had competed in the National Games with the injury in October.
"We couldn't do much (about the injury) because we didn't want to skip the World Championships. Now, we will focus on her wrist because we have a lot of time before the next event," India's head coach Vijay Sharma told PTI.
"We were not taking any pressure for this event. This is the weight Mira lifts regularly. From now we will start increasing the weights and improving.
"Seeing Mira I believe we are on the right track and she is definitely going to only work harder to bring out her A- game in the upcoming Asian Games and the Olympics."
While the 11-lifter field was highly competitive, most lifters refrained from stretching themselves. Zhihua even skipped her final clean and jerk attempt to settle for bronze.
Competing in her first international tournament since winning a gold at the Commonwealth Games, Chanu had an underwhelming snatch session. She started with an 84kg lift but her second attempt of 87kg was deemed a no lift.
Expectedly, Chanu didn't go for the much-awaited 90kg lift. In her final attempt, the 28-year-old, who had her wrist bandaged, wobbled a little but was able to hoist the 87kg barbell, which is a kilogram less than her personal best in the section.
Fifth after the snatch section, Chanu set the highest clean and jerk entry weight but her first attempt of 111kg was deemed a no lift as her left elbow wobbled a little.
The Indian camp challenged the decision but the judges upheld it.
However, Chanu, the world record holder in the category, succeeded in her final two attempts of 111kg and 113 kg to collect the overall and clean and jerk silver. He also took silver in snatch category.
Medals are awarded separately for snatch, clean and jerk, and total lift in continental and World Championships. But, just one medal for total lift is awarded in the Olympics. India have four more lifters in the fray. S Bindiyrani Devi (59kg), Chanambam Rishikanta Singh (61kg), Achinta Sheuli (73kg) and Gurdeep Singh (+109kg) will compete in their respective categories.
The 2022 World Championship is the first qualifying event for the 2024 Paris Olympics, where weightlifting events will be cut from 14 at Tokyo Games to 10.
However, it is an additional event and not a compulsory one.
Under the 2024 Olympic qualification rule, a lifter has to compulsorily compete in the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 World Cup.
Apart from the above, the lifter also has to participate in three of the following events -- the 2022 World Championships, the 2023 Continental Championships, the 2023 Grand Prix 1, the 2023 Grand Prix II and the 2024 Continental Championships.
The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) will publish the Olympic Qualification Rating (OQR) of each weight category at the end of the qualification period.
A weightlifter's best three performances at the qualifying events will be taken into account for final assessment.
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Will win 226 seats; exit polls predictions made at BJP's behest to demoralise TMC workers: Mamata
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday dismissed exit poll projections, saying they were aired at the “instruction of the BJP” to demoralise her party and asserted that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) would win more than 226 seats in the assembly polls.
She also targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging central forces acted as “agents of the BJP”, and took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks made on Wednesday that "the poll results will strengthen the resolve of a developed India", wondering how he can make such a comment when voting was on.
In a video message shared on social media ahead of counting on May 4, Banerjee claimed television channels ran projections circulated from the BJP office, alleging a coordinated attempt to shape public perception.
“I want to reassure you that what is being shown on TV, that circular was issued from the BJP office at 1.08 pm yesterday. Money was paid to show those figures. The media was forced to air it,” she said.
Her remarks came a day after most exit polls predicted a majority for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 294-member Assembly, where the halfway mark is 148, with several projections giving it over 150 seats, a narrative the TMC chief sought to counter forcefully.
Exuding confidence about her party’s prospects, Banerjee said the TMC would comfortably cross the two-thirds mark.
“We will cross 226. We may even get 230. I have full faith in the way people have voted,” she said.
Thanking voters for their participation, she struck an emotional note, saying, “Even in such scorching heat, and despite so much oppression, the way you stood in queues to vote -- we are grateful. I am also grateful to my workers. They fought with everything they had. They endured a lot of oppression. Those who tried to subdue Bengal have themselves been subdued in the ballot box.”
Alleging widespread intimidation during polling, Banerjee said Trinamool workers faced “joint oppression” by central forces and sections of the police.
“The BJP intimidates everyone through ED, CBI. The conduct of the central forces yesterday, and some of the newly appointed police personnel who were not under my control - they beat women, they beat children,” she claimed.
The chief minister also trained her guns on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging that central forces acted as “agents of the BJP” during the entire polling process.
“At direct instructions of Amit Shah, central forces have been working in West Bengal as agents of the BJP in the entire polling process,” she claimed.
He also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks on the last day of polling from Uttar Pradesh, where he had said voters are casting their vote in West Bengal this time in a "fearless atmosphere", which was unimaginable in the past six or seven decades."
He also asserted that the assembly poll results on May 4 will further strengthen the resolve of a developed India.
“How can he say Bengal is his during elections? Does he know Bengal? Does he know its soil? He knows no one here,” she said.
Referring to the reported death of a voter in Udaynarayanpur in a polling booth, she said, “I have no words to console the bereaved family of the gentleman who died while going to vote. We will stand by that family.”
The CM alleged that her party workers were “one-sidedly attacked” but did not retreat, and that many were deliberately arrested to prevent them from acting as polling agents. She cited incidents from areas such as Bhatpara, Noapara, Jagaddal and her own constituency, Bhabanipur.
“Our workers were beaten so that they could not function as agents. Even in Bhabanipur, raids were conducted throughout the night. I have not slept for two days,” she said.
Calling the exit poll predictions a “BJP conspiracy”, Banerjee further alleged that they were aired to influence economic sentiment and demoralise her cadre.
“I have information that this was done to comfort the share market. If the truth comes out, the market will crash. So the BJP used the media for this last game, to demoralise our workers,” she said, recalling discrepancies between exit poll projections and actual results in 2016 and 2021.
In a strong organisational directive, Banerjee asked party leaders, candidates and workers to remain on high alert during counting and guard strong rooms housing Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
“You must guard the counting centres. If needed, I will also go and guard my area. Candidates must guard themselves. Stay awake. If I can do it, so can you. There is a plan to change the machines while transporting EVMs. Do not take this lightly,” she said.
“Until I formally say so in a press conference, no one should leave the counting table,” Banerjee added.
The TMC supremo cautioned workers against leaving counting tables unattended even briefly.
“During counting, sit firmly at the centres. Even if someone needs to go to the toilet or eat, it should not be for more than two minutes. Leave someone trustworthy in your place, someone who cannot be bought with money,” she said.
Despite the sharp allegations, Banerjee appealed for restraint.
“Even if they attack you, do not retaliate immediately. There has been a lot of violence. Our workers were beaten and bloodied in Bhangar. They will be answered — but no one should take the law into their own hands. We will take action,” the CM said.
Banerjee said she was “100 per cent confident” of a win and urged all TMC candidates to remain vigilant till the final results are declared.
Meanwhile, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya dismissed her allegations as a sign of nervousness.
“She is very well aware that she is losing the polls and that is why she is making such a statement to keep her party workers charged up,” he said, terming her remarks a “panic reaction” to an “imminent defeat”.
The sharp exchange underscores the high-stakes nature of the Bengal verdict, with both narrative and numbers under intense contest ahead of counting day.
