Mirabai Chanu Shines Again: India’s Weightlifting Star Claims Third Commonwealth Gold!

Mirabai Chanu Dominates the Commonwealth Games

Glasgow: Olympic champion Mirabai Chanu reaffirmed her position as India's premier weightlifter by securing her third consecutive gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. On Sunday, she showcased her exceptional talent in the women's 48kg category, setting new records while lifting a total of 190kg (85kg in snatch and 105kg in clean and jerk).

This victory marked India's first gold medal in the current edition of the Games and the third medal overall, following para powerlifter Jhandu Kumar's bronze in the men's heavyweight event on Friday.

The 31-year-old athlete from Manipur faced challenges, missing her initial attempts in both the snatch and clean and jerk. However, she made a remarkable comeback, finishing 22kg ahead of Nigeria's Ruth Asuquo Nyong, who took home the silver with a total of 168kg.

With the Asian Games approaching in less than two months, Mirabai chose to forgo her final clean and jerk attempt after already breaking the Commonwealth Games records for both clean and jerk and total lift.

Earlier in the day, Rishikanta Singh earned a silver medal in the men's 60kg category, despite battling an injury that hindered his chances for gold. He matched the Commonwealth Games record in the snatch with a lift of 121kg and initially led in the clean and jerk.

Unfortunately, he could only manage 143kg after failing his last two attempts, finishing with a total of 264kg. Malaysia's Mohamad Aniq Kasdan capitalized on the situation, achieving a Games record of 152kg in clean and jerk for a total of 273kg, while Kenya's Joshua Amunga Mboya secured bronze with 260kg.

Rishikanta later shared that a knee injury, which had flared up just a week before the competition, affected his performance during the clean and jerk phase, preventing him from executing his heavier lifts effectively.

"I came here for gold. After the snatch, I was in the leading position, but my knee created a problem. I was able to clean the weight but could not push because one thigh was not working properly. I tried my best," he explained.

At 28 years old, Rishikanta made history as the first male weightlifter from Manipur to earn a Commonwealth Games medal and the first from his state to compete in this sport at the Games.

Swimming and Lawn Bowls Updates

In swimming, India's men's 4x200m freestyle relay team kept their medal aspirations alive by qualifying for the finals after finishing third in their heat. The team, consisting of Dhakshan Shashikumar, Aneesh Sunil Kumar Gowda, Aryan Nehra, and Srihari Nataraj, clocked a time of 739.48, securing fifth place overall across the heats.

The Indian swimmers delivered a strong finish, surpassing Jersey to secure their spot in the final eight.

On a less positive note, disappointment struck in lawn bowls as Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh's three-match winning streak came to an end with a narrow defeat against Namibia in the women's pairs sectional event. After losing the first set 5-7, the duo rebounded to dominate the second set 10-1, only to falter in the tie-break, losing 0-3 to Amanda Steenkamp and Diana Viljoen.

The Indian pair will now face England in their final sectional match, with a chance to secure a spot in the semifinals.