GLASGOW - India opened its medal count in CWG with Manipuri girls Sanjita Khumukcham and Mirabai Chanu Saikhom winning the gold and silver, respectively, in the women's 48kg category of weightlifting competitions at the Clyde Auditorium here on July 24. The two medals were India's first from the 2104 Commonwealth Games and they are now third in the medals tally followed by England and Australia.
Sanjita had a total lift of 173 kg while Mirabai had 170kg. The bronze went to Nigeria's Nkechi Opara with a total lift of 162kg. In snatch, the 20-year-old Sanjita had three good lifts in her three attempts of 72kg, 75kg and 77kg. She survived a scare in her first attempt, 92kg, in the clean and jerk when she failed to lift the weight and the bar almost missed her shin bone. But in her next two attempts she lifted 92kg and 96kg with ease. Mirabai lifted 72kg in her first attempt in the snatch but then failed in her next attempt for 75kg. The 19-year-old, however, succeeded in lifting 75kg in her third attempt which was a good lift. She had two good lifts of 92kg and 95kg in the clean and jerk but failed in her last attempt for 98kg. Sanjita's eyes turned moist as the tricolour was hoisted and the national anthem was played out for the first time in the Games. The Indians had won the silver and the bronze in the same category in the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Ngangbam Soniya Chanu had won silver and Sandhya Rani Devi the bronze. Meanwhile, 30-year-old Chana and 19-year-old Shushila are on the verge of winning two more gold medals for India. Chana, who is employed with Punjab Police, beat South African Daniel Le Grange in the semi-finals of the men's -60kg category while Shushila got the better of Australian Chloe Rayner in the semi-final of the women's -48kg category.