The weightlifter from Andhra Pradesh became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal when she clinched the 69kg category bronze at the 2000 Games in Sydney
India's Karnam Malleswari on the podium with her bronze at Sydney in 2000. Pic/AFP
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The weightlifter from Andhra Pradesh became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal when she clinched the 69kg category bronze at the 2000 Games in Sydney.
Six years prior to her Olympic glory, she won the world title in the 54kg category in 1994 and 1995.
Karnam Malleswari, 42, is a recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 1995 and the Padma Shri in 1999.
The retired lifter is currently based in New Delhi and is employed by Food Corporation of India as chief general manager, public relations.
A recent image of Karnam Malleswari. Pic/Getty Images
Talking about matters close to her heart, Malleswari rued the lack of improvement on the Indian weightlifting scene since her emergence in the 1990s. "There has been absolutely no change in Indian weightlifting. We had a disappointing outing at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Though we are medal contenders in the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, we are far from being competitive on the world stage," Malleswari said.
Earlier this month, she was at the Sports Authority of India, Patiala, to offer tips to the country's weightlifters. "To win Olympic medals we need to improve the standard of coaches as well as overall technical training for our lifters," she said.
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