Kunjarani stranded last in line

BANGKOK, Dec 7: Kunjarani Devi first brought women's weightlifting into focus in India -- almost 10 years ago. That she still continues t...

BANGKOK, Dec 7: Kunjarani Devi first brought women8217;s weightlifting into focus in India 8212; almost 10 years ago. That she still continues to be a medal hope, while not many new faces have emerged, is a sad commentary on a discipline that is often spoken of a possible medal sport for India in Sydney 2000.

Yet, coach Pal Singh Sandhu was disappointed as Kunjarani, one of the most bemedalled sportspersons from India, failed to give India it first medal at the 13th Asian Games, as she had on previous two occassions in 1990 and 1994. And he was quick to admit, we have failed to build on the sport and successes of Kunja and Malleshwari.

As Kunjarani finished out of the medals in the 48 kg category, China8217;s Liu Xiuhua, with a world record 80 kg in snatch and 105 kg in clean and jerk, won the gold. Her world record in snatch was the first of the Asian Games.

Kunjarani, bronze medallist in the last Games four years ago, was last among the seven lifters in snatch with 70kg and then after clearing 95.0 kg on thefirst try in clean and jerk, she failed twice at 102.5 kg and ended seventh and last overall.

The silver medallist Kay Thi-Win from Myanmar and bronze medallist Sri Indiyani of Indonesia are 23 and 20 years respectively. To further emphasise the point: the local girl, Udomporn Polsak, who had the entire crowd behind her as she went up for each lift, is just 17. The 23-year-old Liu Xiuhua, who was the second lightest in the field, opened her snatch attempt successfully at 80.0 kg and then after one failure succeeded in hoisting 83.5 kg. And when she effortlessly lifted 105 kg, Balbir Singh Bhatia, a former India international, and now handling Press Relations for the Indian Olympic Association, could not help admiring her. Look at her lower body, that8217;s where the power for the lift comes and look at the others and you will know the difference.

Liu8217;s 83.5 kg was a new world record, erasing the old mark of 83.0 kg set by her compatriot, Li Zhuo in a Chinese Nationals in September this year. But with LiuXiuhua failing at 113 kg, the clean and jerk world record stayed with another Chinese, Li Xuezhao, who lifted 112.5 kg in a meet in Tel Aviv this April.

Once Kunja did poorly in snatch, the pressure was on her, admitted coach Sandhu. She tried to make in clean and jerk, but simply could not do it today. 8220;Before the competition I expected her to go about 175 or 177.5 kg, which is what she had been doing at home. Even if she had managed it, she would have failed to get into the medals, he added candidly.

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What about the rest? 8220;I feel Malleshwari is still a gold medal prospect for her form is good,8221; he added.