Kunjarani Devi

Born on 1st March 1968 in a small town called Kairang Mayai Leikal of Manipur, India, Nameirakpam Kunjarani Devi has been a regular weightlifter in many international events since her debut, winning numerous accolades.

Here are some of her career achievements:

• Bagged three Silver in her debut World Women’s Weightlifting Championship, Manchester, 1989
• Since 1985, she has been winning medals, mostly gold, at the National Weightlifting Championships in 44-kg, 46-kg, and 48-kg category.
• Made two national weightlifting  records in Trivandrum in 1987
• Won gold in the 46-kg category in Pune, 1994
• Bagged Silver medal in the 48-kg category in Manipur, 1998
• Won medals in seven successive World Women’s Weightlifting Championships from 1989 to 1997 (with exceptions at Sarajevo, 1990 and Melbourne, 1993)
• Secured bronze twice in the Asian Games (Beijing, 1990 and Hiroshima, 1994)
• In Asian Weightlifting Championships, she bagged 1 silver and 2 bronze (Shanghai, 1989) and won 3 silver in the 44-kg category, held in Indonesia in the year 1991   
• Achieved 2 silver and 1 bronze in 1996 at the World weightlifting championship which was held in Japan
• Recipient of Arjuna award in 1990
• Shared Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award with Leander Paes in 1996-1997
• Awarded with civilian honor of Padma Shri in 2011
• Has a credit of more than 50 international medals
• Won gold in the Commonwealth Games, 2006