Weightlifting Wonder: Santa Sisters Of Odisha Steal Show With 5 Medals!

Bhubaneswar: There are two weightlifting girls in Odisha with identical names – Mina Santa. They are cousins and belong to Umarkote Municipality of Nabarangpur district. Both are national medalists and both train at Odisha Weightlifting High Performance Centre, Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar.

Because of identical names the duo often creates confusion, even in the state weightlifting circle. Nowadays, the sisters are recognised as Mina Santa-A and Mina Santa-B. The former is the older of the two, born on March 7, 2007. Daughter of Kasu Santa and Phulme Santa of Kurumunda village, Mina Santa-A had won a gold medal on her international debut at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship last year in Delhi apart from six National medals. At present, she is honing her skills at the National camp in Patiala.

Mina Santa-B hails from Kenduguda village. Daughter of Narsu Santa and Bangari Santa, she was born on March 27, 2008. She won a gold medal at a National ranking tournament in Patna, Bihar, last year. Interestingly, the senior Mina competes in 55kg weight class, while the junior one participates in 59kg category.

The Santa sisters also created confusion at the ongoing Asmita Khelo India Women’s Weightlifting Zonal League (Zone A) at Biju Patnaik Weightlifting Hall, Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, on Saturday as they stole the show, bagging five medals together (three gold, one silver and bronze). One leading newspaper wrote that the five medal were bagged by one lifter, named Mina Santa! But the fact is that Mina Santa-A captured two gold and one bronze, while Mina Santa-B pocketed one gold and one silver.

Riding on the awesome performance of Santa sisters, host Odisha reaped a rich harvest of 10 medals on Day-2 to increase their total of 15 medals in the four-day competition. The 15 medals featured six gold, three silver and six bronze.

Among other Odisha medal winners of the day, Rima Bhoi bagged the gold in 59kg senior category, while Sneha Soren secured one silver in 55kg senior group. Alisha Behera (59kg youth), Bidusmita Bhoi (59kg junior) and Mina Singh (55kg youth) chipped in with one bronze each.

Odisha hockey Olympian Birendra Lakra, athletics Olympian Srabani Nanda and cycling Arjuna Awardee Minati Mohapatra were prominent guests of the day and handed over the medals as well as cash prizes.

ODISHA MEDAL WINNERS
Gold: Mina Santa-A, 55kg Youth (Snatch 82kg, clean & jerk 96kg, Total 178kg), 12 July 2024.
Gold: Mina Santa-A, 55kg Junior (Snatch 82kg, clean & jerk 96kg, Total 178kg), 12 July 2024.
Gold: Mina Santa-B, 59kg Youth (Snatch 73kg, clean & jerk 91kg, Total 164kg), 12 July 2024.
Gold: Rima Bhoi, 59kg Senior (Snatch 82kg, clean & jerk 103kg, Total 185kg), 12 July 2024.
Silver: Mina Santa-B, 59kg Junior (Snatch 73kg, clean & jerk 91kg, Total 164kg), 12 July 2024.
Silver: Sneha Soren, 55kg Senior (Snatch 80kg, clean & jerk 108kg, Total 188kg), 12 July 2024.
Bronze: Alisha Behera, 59kg Youth (Snatch 61kg, clean & jerk 81kg, Total 142kg), 12 July 2024.
Bronze: Bidusmita Bhoi, 59kg Junior (Snatch 72kg, clean & jerk 92kg, Total 164kg), 12 July 2024.
Bronze: Mina Singh, 55kg Youth (Snatch 71kg, clean & jerk 85kg, Total 156kg), 12 July 2024.
Bronze: Mina Santa-A, 55kg Senior (Snatch 82kg, clean & jerk 96kg, Total 178kg), 12 July 2024.