‘I’m not finished yet’: Mabia after career-best showing

Less than four months after setting a new personal best, South Asian Games gold medallist Mabia Aktar Simanta outdid herself again on Wednesday, lifting a career-best total weight of 210kg -- 92kg snatch and 118kg clean and jerk -- to win gold in the newly-introduced 69kg weight category in the 41st Men's and 18th Women's National Senior Weightlifting Championships at the Shaheed Captain M Mansur Ali Handball Stadium.

Earlier in May, Mabia had lifted 204kg -- 89kg in snatch and 115kg in clean and jerk-- in the 71kg weight category during the Asian Weightlifting Championships in China.

On Wednesday, the Bangladesh Ansar weightlifter was far ahead of her competitors as silver winner Unnoti Biswas lifted 144kg -- 65kg snatch and 79kg in clean and jerk – while Shayela Akter Jannat lifted a total of 128kg to win bronze.

"I was determined to perform because I was left out of the scholarship, and the coach didn't want to train me. I wanted to maintain my performance, and show my critics that I am not finished yet," Mabia told The Daily Star.

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Mabia, who won gold in the 2016 and 2019 SA Games in the 63kg and 76kg category respectively, said it was a challenge to get down to the new weight.

"It has been challenging for me because I had to lose weight to compete in the 69kg weight category, newly introduced internationally in place of 71kg, the category I competed in China in May," she said.

"I am happy after breaking my personal record," said Mabia, who also thanked Bangladesh Ansar and Bangladesh Weightlifting Federation for their support.