The Commonwealth Games bronze medalist weightlifter said working on a chaff cutter machine, used to cut straw for cattle fodder, helped Harjinder Kaur develop strong arms.
Harjender clinched bronze in the women’s 71kg after a dramatic surge in Birmingham on Monday.
Luck was with Harjinder as gold medal favorite Joy Eze of Nigeria was assured of a podium finish after being knocked out after three unsuccessful attempts in the clean and jerk category.
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“I used to work with my father in the house and farm and that’s why my arms stayed strong,” she told PTI over phone from Birmingham on Tuesday.
Kaur’s elder brother Preet Pal Singh said she used to help her farmer father in the agricultural fields and it also made him strong.
Kaur, who hails from Mahsa village in Patiala’s Nabha area, said she was confident of winning the CWG medal.
“It never crossed my mind that I would not win a medal,” Harjender said.
Weightlifting was not his first choice as he initially took up kabaddi.
She started weightlifting in 2016 and was drawn to the sport while studying at Punjabi University, Patiala.
“Initially, I didn’t know much about weightlifting. I never heard of weightlifting in the village or the city. But when I went to Punjabi University, coach Paramjit Sharma encouraged me to take up weightlifting,” Harjinder said.
Harjinder is the youngest of three siblings and completed her graduation from Modi College, Patiala.
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