Pratima is the first weightlifter from Bihar to have qualified for the Athens Games

Dhanbad, June 24: Pratima Kumari of Bokaro is in Belarus for training before she leaves with a galaxy of star weightlifters of international repute — Malleshwari, Kunjurani and Sangamacha — to represent India at the Athens Olympics.

She is the first woman weightlifter of united Bihar heading for the Olympics in weightlifting.

The iron lady of Bokaro who took her training at Bangalore SAI centre under coach Pal Singh Sandhu will represent the country in Under-69 kg weight category.

Talking to The Telegraph, Prem Chandra Prasad Gupta, an employee of Bokaro Steel Plant, said, in a state where the birth of a daughter is still looked down upon, he was proud to have her as he and his family found recognition due to her.

“Initially, my daughter wanted to be an athlete but later changed her mind on the advice of her elder brother and started excelling in a short span of time. We gave all the help she needed and stood by her. She has made us proud by getting into the Olympic squad,” said Gupta.

“As her name was announced for the Olympics, Pratima called us and is still in regular touch with us from the training centre,” said the proud father.

Pratima caught the attention of the selectors when she grabbed two gold and a silver medals in the commonwealth games at Manchester but got the Athens ticket for her fine performance in the recently-held Asian weightlifting competition.

Pratima Kumari grabbed four gold medals in the first weightlifting competition held at Bihar and has been on a winning spree since.

Rajendra Prasad, a SAI coach of national reputation stationed at Bokaro, helped her with the minute details of weightlifting, improving her performance every day. Her father, Prem Chand Gupta, gives all credit to her daughter and his coach for her success.

At the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Pratima had won gold in the overall and clean and jerk anda bronze in the snatch categories.