Silver for Dey, Chanu as Indian lifters win four medals

New Delhi, Oct 4 (PTI) Weightlifting continued to be a
happy hunting ground for India in the Commonwealth Games with
men lifters Sukhen Dey and Srinivasa Rao winning silver and
bronze medals respectively in 56kg category, after Soniya
Chanu and Sandhya Devi Rani's identical feats earlier Monday.
Dey gave a stiff competition to Games record holder
Hamizan Amirul Ibrahim of Malaysia before settling for a
silver at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium five kgs short of the
winner's effort. Ibrahim cleared 257kg and Rao lifted 248kg
for the bronze medal.
Ibrahim, in the process, claimed the first gold medal for
his country while also setting a new Games record of 116kg in
the snatch, surpassing his personal best of 115. He lifted 141
in clean and jerk.
The 21-year-old Dey, however, was the surprise element in
the event with his career best of 112 in snatch and 140 in
clean and jerk.
Although Dey fouled his third attempt in clean and jerk,
favourite Ibrahim held his nerve after failing twice to come
out trumps in the end.
Earlier, India opened their medal account in the Games
when women lifters Chanu bagged a silver medal and Sandhya
clinched a bronze in the women's 48 kg class.
Chanu cleared 167 kg to stand second in the event behind
Nigerian woman Augustina Nwaokolo who hoisted 175 kg to win
the contest. She also created a new Games record. Sandhya took
the bronze with a total clearance of 165 kg.
Chanu and Nwaokolo were tied with the same clearance of
94 kg in the snatch competition but the latter, who weighed
marginally less than the Indian woman, settled the issue in
the clean and jerk category by clearing 8 kgs more.