Bindyarani Devi stepped onto the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games podium with a big smile and a silver medal around her neck on Sunday. The 23-year-old missed the gold medal by just 1kg but managed to emulate her idol Mirabai Chanu by taking second place on the podium in her first Commonwealth Games appearance.
There are many similarities between Mirabai Chanu and Bindyarani Devi. For starters, not only are they both from the northeastern state of Manipur, but they also practice and train at the same academy.
They come from an almost similar family background and their lifting styles also seem to be an exact replica of each other. The similarities were such that Bindyarani was dubbed “Mirabai Chanu 2.0” early in her career – even before she became the star she is today with an Olympic medal.
Bindyarani Devi grew up idolizing Mirabai Chanu.
In fact, when Chanu learned of Devi’s financial struggles, she gifted the youngster a brand new pair of expensive weightlifting shoes to ensure she had the best possible equipment to train with.
“Mira di was very important for my success. She is always there to help me with my technique and training. When I was new to camp, she also made sure I settled in easily. She knew I didn’t have the money to buy the lifting shoes, but she didn’t think twice about gifting them to me. She was always an inspiration and her down to earth demeanor made me her biggest fan,” Bindyarani said of Mirabai Chanu after winning gold at the Commonwealth Championships last year according to Firstpost.
