The 29-member squad won the team championship trophies in senior men, senior women, junior men and junior women. They also won all the best lifter trophies except in the senior men category. Soniya Chanu (48kg) was adjudged best lifter in senior women, while Sukhen Dey (56kg) and Bangaru Usha (48kg) were chosen best lifters in junior men and junior women sections.
“Our lifters put up a sterling performance. They made a clean sweep by winning all team trophies. With almost every medal in the bag, this was icing on the cake,” IWF secretary general BR Gulati said. India won 17 gold, nine silver and a bronze in the competition. The Indians were competing in Commonwealth Championships in the backdrop of dope flunks by seven lifters in the out-of-competition tests conducted by WADA and NADA, which left the IWF facing the prospect of being banned by the international body.
Published 24 October 2009, 17:21 IST