Bindyarani Devi wins Bronze in the IWF World Cup

Bindyarani Devi, the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 silver medallist, won a bronze medal at the IWF World Cup 2024, held in Phuket, Thailand, on 2 April 2024. However, the Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Mirabai Chanu finished 12th in the 49 kg weightlifting category. Despite not winning a medal at the World Cup, Mirabai Chanu became the only Indian weightlifter to qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024. Bindyarani Devi and Mirabai Chanu were the only two Indians who were competing in the IWF World Cup 2024.

The IWF World Cup 2024 is being organised by the International Weightlift.ing Federation (IWF) from 31st March to 11 April 2024 in Phuket, Thailand. Both men and women weightlifters are participating in the World Cup.

Bronze Medal for Bindyarani 

25 year old Bindyarani Devi, competing in the women’s 55 kg category, recorded a lift of 196 kg .It included 83 kg snatch and 113 kg clean and jerk) to bag the bronze medal. This was below her 203 kg effort at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, which won her the silver medal.

North Korea's Kang Hyon Gyong won the gold medal with a lift of 234 Kg and silver was won by Romania’s Mihaela Cambei.

Mirabai Chanu qualifies for the Paris Olympics 2024

Indian weightlifter Mirabi Chanu qualified for the Paris Summer Olympics 2024 despite finishing 12th in the 49 kg category. She is the only Indian weightlifter to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

The IWF World Cup at Phuket was the last qualifying event for the Weightlifting event for the Paris Olympics. Currently, Bindyarani Devi is ranked 29th in the Olympic Qualification Ranking for the women’s 59kg. The top 10 ranked weightlifters in the Olympic Qualification Ranking from each weight category are eligible for the Paris Olympic quota 2024.

Mirabai Chanu is currently ranked 2nd in the Olympic Qualification Ranking from the 49 Kg. The Olympic Qualification Ranking is based on the best total results (snatch + clean and jerk) the athletes manage to lift in the qualifying competitions.

Mirabai Chanu is considered to be one of the greats of Indian weightlifting. She has won many medals for India at the international level. She won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, gold at the 2017 World Weightlifting Championships in Anaheim, USA, and gold three times in the Commonwealth Games (2014, 2018, and 2022). 

The 32nd Summer Olympics will be held in the French capital, Paris, from 26 July to 11 August 2024.

International Weightlifting Federation (IWF)

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) was established in 1905. It is the world governing body of men’s and women’s weightlifting and has been recognised by the International Olympic Association.

Members -193 countries

Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland 

President:  Mohamad Hassan Jaloud