It was a long and tiring journey to Kerala for the Manipur team but it was worth the effort as Sanjita Chanu and Mirabai Chanu clinched the gold and silver respectively in the 48kg category weightlifting competition for women at the VKN Menon indoor stadium here on Sunday.
Both Sanjita and Mirabai hail from the nearby villages in Manipur. They have been good friends and striking it hot in every other competition. In fact, the former got the better of the latter for the gold at the CWG last year. Mirabai took the silver. One expected sweet revenge from the eventual silver medallist but Sanjita had the last laugh. The gritty youngster lifted 180kg (snatch 78 & 102) for the gold.
Kerala’s Linta Thomas and Ancy Daniel failed to inspire, finishing at the bottom of the table.
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Preeti of Haryana stunned the crowd with a total lift of 176kg for the gold in the 53kg class. The AP lifter is considered an ageing star but she seems to have found her form. She won the senior nationals at Nagpur last year and carried with her the good form to the Games as well.
Rao in roaring form V. Srinivasa Rao of Andhra Pradesh topped the men’s 56kg category. He enjoyed a tally of 243. And, on his way to victory improved his own clean and jerk mark of 135kg to 137.
Mahajan Dipak of Chandigarh tried hard to match as well but fell short of expectations. Mohana Sundaram brought the loudest cheer bringing home the bronze for the host. Incidentally, it was Kerala’s first medal at the Games.
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The results: Men: 56kg: 1. Srinivasa Rao (AP) 243 (106, 137); 2. Mahajan Dipak 238 (105, 133); 3. Mohana Sundaram (Kerala) 19, 128).
Women: 48kg: 1. Sanjita Chanu (Manipur) 180 (78 snatch, 102 clean & jerk); 2. S. Mirabai Chanu (Manipur) 173 (78, 95); 3. B. Usha (AP) 161 (72, 89). 53kg: 1. Preeti (Haryana) 176 (75, 101); 2. Diksha Gaikwad (Maharashtra) 171 (75, 96); 3. K. Venkatalakshmi (AP) 168 (72, 96).