Purnima Pandey is an Indian weightlifter with several medals in various national and international tournaments.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Purnima Pandey was born on Thursday, 16 October 1997 (age 25 years; as of 2022) in Gai Ghat, Varanasi, India. Her zodiac sign is Libra. At the age of 10, she started gymnastics at the Kashi Vyayamshala. She soon began powerlifting. She did not get enough opportunities to pursue powerlifting professionally and started weightlifting after joining the Indian Health Association in 2013 at the age of 17 years. She later pursued graduation at Suryabali College, Jaunpur. [1]VBSPU [2]Facebook – Purnima Pandey After training for a few years, she started participating in weightlifting competitions in 2015.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 5″
Weight (approx.): 95 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
Her father died in 2019. Her mother’s name is Vimla Pandey.
A collage of family pictures of Purnima Pandey
Purnima Pandey (right) with her mother
Career
She took part in the 31st Women Senior National Weightlifting Championships held in Patiala, Punjab from 25 December 2015 to 29 December 2015. Purnima Pandey participated in the 11th Youth (Girls) National Weightlifting Championships held in Patna, Bihar from 22 February 2016 to 22 February 2016. She participated in the 2016 IWF Youth World Championship held in Penang, Malaysia from 18 October 2016 to 25 October 2016 and stood 16th in the +69 kg category. She got the 6th position in the 2016 Commonwealth Senior Women held in Penang, Malaysia from 24 October 2016 to 29 October 2016 in the +75 kg category. She participated in the 18th Asian Youth Girl Championship held in Tokyo, Japan from 8 November 2016 to 16 November 2016 and got 6th position in the 23rd Women Asian Junior Championship held in Tokyo, Japan from 8 November 2016 to 16 November 2016. She competed in the 12th Youth (Boys & Girls) National Weightlifting Championships held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha from 30 November 2016 to 4 December 2016, and in the 29th Women Junior National Weightlifting Championships held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha from 30 November 2016 to 4 December 2016. She got 4th position in the 32nd Women Senior National Weightlifting Championships held in Nagercoil, Tamilnadu from 26 December 2016 to 30 December 2016. She participated in the 2017 Commonwealth Junior Women Championship held in Gold Coast, Australia from 2 September 2017 to 9 September 2017. She got 4th place in the 33rd Women Senior National Weightlifting Championships held in Moodbidri, Mangalore, Karnataka from 21 January 2018 to 25 January 2018. She got the 6th place in the 21st Commonwealth Games held in Gold Coast, Australia from 5 April 2018 to 9 April 2018 in the +90 kg category. In 2019, she had to return home after her father’s demise to support her mother. She could not practice in Varanasi; however, she joined a local akhara (gymnasium) and kept practicing weightlifting. She called it a difficult phase in her life and said,
“My father died in 2019 and I had to return to Varanasi to look after my mother. As all gyms were closed due to the pandemic, it was difficult to continue with the practice. There were financial constraints too. Finally I joined an akhara on the banks of the Ganga to resume my practice. However this phase too passed away and everything turned normal.” [3]The Times of India
Her coaches Vinay Chaurasia and Manoj Yadav helped her to continue practicing the sport. She participated in the 36th Women Senior National Weightlifting Championships held in Patiala, Punjab from 10 August 2021 to 12 August 2021. She was placed 10th in the 2021 IWF Senior World Championships held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from 5 December 2021 to 18 December 2021 in the +87 kg category and competed in the 2021 Commonwealth Senior Championships held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from 5 December 2021 to 18 December 2021. She competed in IWLF Youth Junior and Senior National Weightlifting Championships held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha from 19 March 2022 to 31 March 2022. She took part in the Khelo India Women Weightlifting League Tournament Youth Junior and Senior held at Rainbow International School Nagrota Bagwan Himachal Pradesh from 14 June 2022 to 22 June 2022, and in the 36th National Games held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from 28 September 2022 to 05 October 2022. She was placed 6th in the 22nd Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, U.K. from 30 July 2022 to 3 August 2022.
Medals
Gold Medal
- 2016: 11th Youth (Girls) National Weightlifting Championships in the +75 kg category
- 2016: 12th Youth (Boys & Girls) National Weightlifting Championships in the +69 kg category
- 2016: 29th Women Junior National Weightlifting Championships in the +75 kg category
- 2016: Commonwealth Youth Girl Championship in the +69 kg category
- 2016: Commonwealth Junior Women Championship in the +75 kg category
- 2021: 36th Women Senior National Weightlifting Championships in the +87 kg category
Purnima Pandey standing on the podium after gold in the 36th Women Senior National Weightlifting Championships
- 2021: Commonwealth Senior Championships in the +87 kg category
Purnima Pandey after winning gold in the 2021 Commonwealth Senior Championships
- 2022: Khelo India Women Weightlifting League Tournament Youth Junior and Senior in the +87 kg category
Purnima Pandey (center) on the podium after winning gold in the 36th National Games
Silver Medal
- 2017: Commonwealth Junior Women Championship in the +90 kg category
- 2022: IWLF Youth Junior and Senior National Weightlifting Championships in the +87 kg category
- 2022: Khelo India National Ranking women’s weightlifting tournament in the +87 kg category
Purnima Pandey (left) after winning silver in the Khelo India National Ranking women’s weightlifting tournament
Bronze Medal
- 2015: 31st Women Senior National Weightlifting Championships in the +75 kg category
- 2016: 18th Asian Youth Girl Championship in the +69 kg category
Facts/Trivia
- Her nickname is Pihu. [4]Facebook – Purnima Pandey
- She was the only Indian woman weightlifter to get direct qualification for the 22nd Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, U.K. [5]Sportstar
- She created 8 national records when she won gold in the 2021 Commonwealth Senior Championships. She lifted 229 kgs in total including 102 kgs in the Snatch lift and 127 kgs in the Clean and Jerk lift. She created 2 records in the Snatch lift, 3 records in the Clean and Jerk lift, and 3 records in total weight. [6]Sportstar
- She has 6 Athlete’s diplomas in total with 2 Diplomas Issued For National Championship – Junior Women, 2 for National Championships – Youth Girls, 1 for National Championships – Senior Women Inter-State, and 1 for National Championships – Senior Women. [7]IWLF [8]IWLF
- She won the gold medal in the 36th National Games despite having a back injury. She said after winning the gold medal,
“I was not prepared for the National Games as I have been undergoing rehab for the back injury. Even today, I came here just to participate in the event, the gold medal was not my goal. The injury has been troubling me for quite some time and I want to make sure that I get back to full fitness before the national camp starts. We have a busy season ahead.” [9]Sportstar
