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When Mirabai Chanu gifted a pair of shoes to Bindyarani Devi
"Mirabai has been very important to my success. She is always there to help me with my technique and training," Bindyarani said.
Bindyarani Devi and Mirabai Chanu
Bindyarani Devi stood on the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games podium with a wide smile and a silver medal around her neck on Sunday. The 23-year-old missed out on the gold by a mere 1kg, but she managed to emulate her idol Mirabai Chanu by bagging the second spot on the podium in her debut Commonwealth Games appearance.
There are a lot of similarities between Mirabai Chanu and Bindyarani Devi. For starters, not only do they both hail from the northeastern state of Manipur, but they practice and train in the same academy as well.
They hail from almost a similar family background and their lifting styles too seem to be an exact replica of the other. The similarities were so much so that Bindyarani was nicknamed "Mirabai Chanu 2.0" early on in her career - this even before the latter became the star she is today with an Olympic medal.
Bindyarani Devi grew up idolising Mirabai Chanu.
In fact, when Chanu came to know about the financial struggles of Devi, she gifted the youngster a brand new expensive pair of weightlifting shoes to ensure that she had the best possible gear to train.
"Mira di has been very important to my success. She is always there to help me with my technique and training. When I was new at the camp, she also ensured I settle down easy. She knew I did not have the money to buy the lifting shoes but she didn't think twice before gifting me those shoes. She was always an inspiration and her down-to-earth behaviour made me her bigger fan," Bindyarani had said about Mirabai Chanu after clinching the Commonwealth Championships gold last year according to Firstpost.
