Mabia gets lighter and stronger
Bangladesh's most renowned weightlifter Mabia Akter Simanta bettered her national records in the in the 64kg weightlifting category of the Bangabandhu 9th Bangladesh Games despite sustaining an injury on her left elbow at the Mymensingh Gymnasium yesterday.
The two-time SA Games gold medallist lifted 80 kilos in snatch and 101 kilos in clean & jerk to win the gold with a total weight of 181 kilos. That feat meant she set three new records by eclipsing her previous records of 79 kilos in snatch and 100 kilos in clean & jerk as well as the total weight. Her previous record was during the Inter-Services Weightlifting Championships in 2018.
Mabia had won gold medal in the 2019 SA Games in Nepal in 74kg category lifting a total of 185 kilos – 80 kilos in snatch and 105 kilos in clean & jerk but she shed 12 kilos of weight since then to get back to her favourite category where she had won her first gold medal in SA Games.
Interestingly, all three of her achievements took place on the seventh day of the month -- the first one on February 7 in 2016, the second one on December 7 in 2019 and the latest one on April 7, 2021.
"Seven is a lucky day for me and I did not want to waste the opportunity. I set my target to set new record in clean and Jerk but it happened in all three sections," Mabia told The Daily Star over phone while taking treatment on the injured elbow at the Mymensingh Medical College.
"I had a previous pain on the right wrist. May be I gave too much stress on the injured hand to lessen the impact on the other hand. The doctor advised me to have a plaster on the elbow but I didn't do it because I don't want to miss this month's qualification competition for the Tokyo Olympics. If everything goes well amid the lockdown, I will fly for Uzbekistan on April 19," said Mabia.
"After winning the SA Games gold in 2016, I was forced to switch to 74kg category to cure the wrist pain, which I could not heal despite spending Tk 3 lakh. Then I sustained another injury in 2019 SA Games and spent more money. It is not possible for me to spend all the money I was given for winning gold medals as I also have to think of my future," said the 21-year-old.
Like Mabia, Shakayet Hossain Pranto of Bangladesh Ansar produced records in both snatch and clean & jerk to win gold in men's 89kg category after lifting overall 273 kilos -- 124 kilos in snatch and 149 kilos in clean & jerk.
Comments