Bangladesh weightlifting team’s impressive show in the just-concluded Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Pune, India gave the players a confidence boost for making a bigger impact in the forthcoming South Asian Games. The three-member Bangladesh weightlifting team, who won six medals including a gold, three silver and two bronze medals, returned on Saturday and took little time to join SA Games training camp.
Mabia Akhter Simanta clinched one gold and two silver medals for Bangladesh in the 63kg weight category while Mostain Billah won silver in the 62kg category and Jahura Akter Reshma won two bronze medals in the 48kg.
Simanta, who lifted 176kg in 63-kg junior weight category, became only the third Bangladeshi woman to claim an international gold medal in weightlifting after Mollah Sabira and Sahriar Sultana Suchi.
Simanta’s success in the Pune meet made the lifter optimistic about bringing gold medal in SA Games, where women’s weightlifting is included for the first time.
‘I fought neck-to-neck with the Indian lifter who won the gold medal in the senior category,’ Simanta told New Age on Saturday.
‘The Indian competitor lifted a total of 190kg in the same category to claim the gold medal.
‘I still have three months in hand and if I can try my level best, hopefully I can beat the Indian opponents.’
Simanta, an emerging lifter of Bangladesh Ansar also earned two medals – one silver and one bronze – in the previous Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship, held in Malaysia in 2013.
Bangladesh’s success in Pune have also made coach Bidyut Kumar Roy hopeful of winning at least one gold in the South Asian Games.
The 12th South Asian Games is likely to be held on the second fortnight of February next year in the Indian cities of Shillong and Guwahati.
‘We will definitely win gold medal in SA Games,’ Bidyut told New Age.
‘We still have three months in hand. If Mabia can try her best, she can add 5-6kg more to what she lifted in the Commonwealth Championships.
‘Besides Mabia, Rokeya Akhter Sathi, is doing well in the +69kg category and she is improving. Last edition’s gold medalist Hamidul Islam might also win a medal in the SA Games.’
South African coach Abinash Pande is expected to arrive in December to hold a 40-day training camp for weightlifters ahead of SA Games.
-With New Age input
