Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

Monika inspires young weightlifters

PHOTO: RAJU.V

L. Monika Devi at CBR Sports Academy in Vijayawada.

VIJAYAWADA: With her dazzling looks and glowing face, everyone may mistake her for an aspiring model keen on setting the ramp on fire with her catwalk. But, the fact is that 22-year-old Laishram Monika Devi from Manipur performs altogether a different feat on a platform. She hauls weights and is now qualified to take part in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Monika, who won a silver in the 2004 Commonwealth Games at Melbourne and a bronze and two silver medals at the Asian Championship at Kanazawa (Japan) in 2008, was here to interact with the trainees at CBR Sports Academy in Kethanakonda and also attend a felicitation organised by the Krishna Industrial and Agricultural Exhibition Society at Swaraj Maidan.

This New Delhi-based ‘hawaldar’ in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will join the Indian team training for the Olympics from May 20 and is quite optimistic of winning a medal.

“I will be taking part in the 69-kg category. Right now, I’m hauling a total of 235 (130 clean and jerk plus 105 snatch). To win a medal, I should lift around 239 kg, which, I think, is well within my reach,” says the effervescent lifter.

Monika says though there is nothing technically wrong with Indian lifters, they lack the required temperament for the big events. “Chinese, Russian and Europeans lifters are mentally tough and they are more focussed. However, it all depends upon your performance on that particular day,” she points out.

Monika spends over nine hours at the gymnasium, constantly upgrading her performance under the watchful eyes of the coaches.

As a measure of encouragement, Chalasani Balaram, founder-chairman of CBR Sports Academy, presented her Rs. 1.2 lakh for her achievements on Saturday at a function on the premises of the academy.

“Monika has a bright future and she is an asset to Indian weightlifting. As promised, I’ll be donating her Rs. 5 lakhs for her to prepare for 2012 London Olympics,” he said.

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