WFI blames it on Punam, claims lifter competed with harm

Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) president Sahdev Yadav on Tuesday claimed that Punam Yadav competed regardless of “not being fully fit”, lashing out on the lifter after her disastrous outing on the Commonwealth Games right here.

Punam was disqualified within the ladies’s 76kg class after failing in all her three clear and jerk makes an attempt. The reigning CWG champion in 69kg class, nevertheless, was in silver medal successful place after snatch, the place she lifted 98kg in her third try.

Clearly dissatisfied along with her present, the nationwide federation chief stated that the lifter competed with an harm to her knee.

“Ek medal haath se chhut gayi — clearly she dropped one medal from the weightlifting arena,” Yadav informed PTI. “That’s why initially we had held again her identify. But the athlete claimed she’s match and confirmed a health certificates issued by a health care provider. There’s no method we may withhold her identify as she joined the crew late.

“If you notice her lifts closely, she was not giving her best force while lifting the barbell from clean to jerk. The knee has to bend to get that full force. “But in her case, it was missing. It’s clear that she’s not 100 per cent and we lost out on a medal,” Yadav claimed.

Asked to make clear, a teary-eyed Punam stated she was totally match.

“Haanji, haanji — bilkul fit thi (Of course, I was fully fit). Niggles are part and parcel of a lifter’s life and I was on course. It happens, my sheer bad luck,” she stated.

Targetting a 3rd CWG medal, the 27-year-old was within the second spot after lifting 98kg in her second try within the snatch.

Having didn’t elevate 116kg within the first two makes an attempt of fresh and jerk, the Varanasi lifter lastly had a clear elevate however dropped it earlier than the three judges gave the inexperienced sign.

“Usne smile kiya and main throw kar diya (One of the judges smiled and I dropped it without seeing the light),” Punam, who received a gold at Gold Coast 2018 within the 69kg class, stated after her elevate was recorded as “zero” by the three judges.

India have up to now received seven medals — together with three gold — out of 10 weight classes. The nation leads the weightlifting medal standings forward of Canada (2-1-4) on the gold medal depend.