M A I N   N E W S

Malleswari gets India bronze

SYDNEY, Sept 19 (UNI) — Karnam Malleswari ended India’s medal drought on the fourth day of competitions at the 27th Olympic Games lifting a bronze in the women’s 69 kg category and became the first ever Indian woman to bag an individual medal in the world’s most competitive sporting arena.

The packed hall at the Darling Harbour convention centre erupted in joy as the scoreboard flashed Malleswari’s name as the bronze medal winner at 45 minutes past 8 p.m.

Malleswari also became the third Indian since Independence to win an individual Olympic medal after wrestler K. Jadhav (1952, Helsinki) and tennis ace Leander Paes (1996, Atlanta). In 1900 at the Paris Games, Norman Pritchard had won two silver medals in athletics.

The 25-year-old former world champion totalled 240.0 kg (110.0 n snatch, 130.0 clean and jerk), 2.5 kg less than the two-way tie for gold and silver winners.

The gold went to Lin Weining of China and silver to Hungary’s Erzsebet Markus. Both of them totalled 242.5 kg but the Chinese walked away with the gold for being less in weight. However, Markus created a world record in the event in snatch (112.5 kg).

A new entrant in the 69 kg class, Malleswari shrugged off the vicious campaign launched against her ahead of the games here and tore the form books to shreds bringing cheer to the Indian camp.

For the visibly elated coach Pal Singh Sandhu and selector Balbir Singh Bhatia, it was a moment of pride as the unassuming lifter from Andhra Pradesh kept their promise held out before the event. During training, Bhatia had said that Malleswari might be able to clear 240 kg. She had been lifting 115 kg in snatch and 137.5 in clean and jerk in training.

At the last World Cup in Athens, Malleswari had lifted 230 kg which fetched her a fourth place. The winner of the gold in Athens had lifted 240 kg.

After Sanamcha Chanu’s disastrous and disappointing campaign in the 53-kg category yesterday, it was left to this hardworking girl from Cuddapah district to bring glory to the nation.

Malleswari, competing in 69 kg class for the first time on an international platform, provided more than an answer to her critics who were wondering whether she had done the right thing in allowing her body weight to increase. She had initially got a bye for the Olympics in the 63-kg event, but as her body weight could not be reduced, the weightlifting federation thought it wise to field her in the 69 kg.

Then again, since the time this humble woman arrived here with other members of the Indian contingent, she had to face a lot of trying moments. She was the only Indian sportsperson to have been dope tested twice before the event. In the normal course, when random samples are taken, an athlete has to go through this procedure only once.

The start itself was fantastic as Malleswari began at 105.00 in snatch. Despite the palpable tension in the hall, she took her time in relaxing between her attempts. The second attempt saw the five feet two inch tall FCI officer lift 107.5 kg and 110.0 in the final lift. At the same time, gold medal winner Weining Lin Also had a best lift of 110 in snatch, also on her third attempt. After the 15-minute break when the lifters had to go through the clean and jerk, Malleswari began confidently.

In clean and jerk, she started at 125.0 kg, and then increased it by 5 kg to 130.00 kg. The next attempt was of 137.5 kg which was tough by any standards since she had never done that before in a competition of this magnitude. As she failed, disappointment was writ large on her face. She had attempted this keeping in mind that she had lifted similar weights in the training camp at Patiala prior to the departure for Sydney. The emotionally surcharged Indian said, “This is a dream come true. Now I think I have proved myself and provided enough proof of my prowess.”

Asked how she felt at being the first Indian woman to achieve such a feat, Malleswari said: “This was the only way to show that I am among the best in the world. I also have an answer to the people throwing mud at me. It is the dream of every athlete to compete in the Olympics. That I could do that and also win a medal makes it so much more sweeter. I am proud to bring India glory and the first medal in the millennium’s first summer games.”

Coaches Leonid Taranenko and Sandhu, who have been facing criticism, were overwhelmed with emotion, “our efforts have borne fruit.