Indians strike three gold in weightlifting

India established early dominance in the weightlifting competition by grabbing three gold medals on the first day of competitions in the 12th South Asian Games here today.

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, Harshdeep Kaur and Gururaja bagged the yellow metal for India. Chanu, silver medalist at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, opened the medal account for India in weightlifting in women's 48kg weight category.

She lifted a total of 169kg (79kg in snatch + 90kg in clean and jerk). All her efforts in snatch, clean and jerk and total are South Asian Games records as women's weightlifting has been included for the first time in the SAG.

Dinusha Hansani Bomiriyaga Gomas of Sri Lanka won the silver with a total lift of 145kg (65kg+80kg), while Molla Shabira of Bangladesh bagged the bronze medal with an effort of 143kg (63kg+80kg).

Gururaja bagged the second gold for India by winning the men's 56kg event with a total lift of 241kg (104kg + 137kg) on the opening day of the competitions today.

Chathuranga Lakmal of Sri Lanka won the silver with a total lift of 239kg (111kg + 128kg) while Abdullah Ghafoor of Pakistan bagged the bronze with an effort of 227kg (102kg +125kg).

India's third gold was won by Harshdeep Kaur in women's 53kg category with a total lift of 171kg (73kg + 98kg). Chamari Mendis Suriya of Sri Lanka bagged the silver with a total of 150kg and Devi Kumari Chaudhary of Nepal was third with a total of 129kg.

India had won three gold and a silver in men's weightlifting in the last edition in Dhaka in 2010. Sri Lanka's Anton Sudesh won the gold in men's 62kg with a total lift of 265kg (115kg + 150kg).