New Delhi, April 5: Hours after weightlifter Gururaja opened India’s 2018 Commonwealth Games campaign on day one by claiming silver in the men’s 56kg category, the world champion and CWG record holder Saikhom Mirabai Chanu delivered a gold in stunning manner.
The 23-year-old, who four years ago won silver in Glasgow, broke six records in six lifts to finish first in the women’s 48 kg with a combined effort of 196kg that smashed her previous career best of 194kg.
Saikhom’s record-setting performance was highlighted by a CWG and personal best lift of 86kg in the snatch category – all in the span of six minutes – and 110kg in the clean & jerk. The achievements of Saikhom, who in February was crownedWeightlifter of the Year award at the Mahindra Scorpio Times of India Awards (TOISA) for her gold medal winning lift at last year’s World Weightlifting Championships, went well past the CWG record of 175kg set by Nigeria’s Augustina Nwaokolo in Delhi in 2010.
The good news for India had come on Thursday morning as Gururaja, after lifting his best weight of 111kg in the snatch, added 138kg in his third attempt in the clean and jerk to end with a total lift of 249kg – thus achieving his personal best. Malaysia’s Muhammad Izhar Ahmad won gold with a total lift of 261kg – a Commonwealth Games record – while bronze went to Sri Lanka’s Chaturanga Lakmal (248kg).
Ace boxer Manoj Kumar opened India’s campaign in style as he thrashed Nigeria’s Osita Umeh 5-0 in a one-sided round of 32 bout to progress into the pre-quarterfinals of the men’s 69kg category. Manoj is one of India’s brightest prospects from the 13-member contingent to return home with a medal.
The third of India’s weightlifters to compete on day one of the CWG, teenager Muthupandi Raja, did not manage a podium finish. The 18-year-old, who hails from Kovilpatti in Tamil Nadu, lifted 116 in snatch and 150 in clean & jerk (total lift of 266) to finish at sixth place in the men’s 62kg category at the Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre in Gold Coast on Thursday.
In badminton, World No 2 Kidambi Srikanth won his singles fixture in the mixed team Group A match beating Sri Lanka’s Niluka Karunaratne 21-16, 21-10. India went on to blank Sri Lanka 5-0. The mixed doubles pair of Pranaav Chopra and Ruthvika Gadde had a tough outing before claiming a 21-15, 19-21, 22-20 win over Sachin Dias and Thilini Pramodika. In the second match, Srikanth posted a straight games victory before the young men’s doubles pair of Satwik Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty got a 21-17, 21-14 win. Sania Nehwal had an easy outing, routing Madushika Dilrukshi 21-8, 21-4. The victory was rounded off by Ashwini Ponappa and Sikki Reddy (21-12, 21-14).
In the women’s table tennis team event, India beat Sri Lanka 3-0. Manika Batra, India’s top-ranked paddler, gave her team the lead with an easy 11-3, 11-5, 11-3 win over Erandi Warusawithana in the first singles event. Sutirtha Mukherjee doubled the lead with a 11-5, 11-8, 11-4 verdict over Ishara Badu in the second. Sutirtha then teamed up with Pooja Sahasrabudhe to beat Badu and Hansani Kapugeekiyana in the doubles to seal victory.
However, at the Gold Coast Hockey Centre, the world No 10 Indian women’s team went down to No 26 Wales 2-3 in a surprise result. After conceding two goals in the first half, India fought back with two goals from captain Rani Rampal and Nikki Pradhan in the third period but Wales then managed to find the winner in the 57th minute courtesy Tash Marke Jones.
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