Manipur weightlifter Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu lifted a total of 192 kg (84 kg in snatch and 108 kg in clean and jerk) in the women’s 53 kg category on the second day of the Commonwealth Games 2018 at Gold Coast in Australia to win the gold medal.
She gave India its second gold by dominating the women’s 53kg event at the Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre on Friday.
Back at the venue where last year she won gold in the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships, the 24-year-old from Manipur broke the existing CWG record with a lift of 84kg in the snatch category and then lifted 108 in the clean and jerk to finish with a combined effort of 192kg.
Sanjita Chanu took an interest in weightlifting after being inspired by the iconic N Kunjarani Devi. She made headlines after winning gold at the 2009 senior nationals before grabbing a bronze at the Asian Weightlifting Championships in 2011.
In 2012, she won gold at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships. At the 2014 CWG, at just 20 years of age, Sanjita won gold over Mirabai Chanu with a total lift of 173 kg which was just two kgs short of the Games record.
Sanjita booked a spot at the 2018 CWG after taking gold in the women’s 53kg with a total lift of 195kg (85kg+110kg) at the Commonwealth Senior (men and women) Weightlifting Championships.
With their biggest contingent ever participating in Gold Coast, India is eyeing an emphatic show across events in the 21st Commonwealth Games. In total 227 Indian athletes are aiming to make the country proud at the quadrennial extravaganza.
Sushil Kumar, Mary Kom, PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal are some of India’s top medal hopefuls at the event. In the last Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, India won 64 medals (15 gold, 30 silver, 19 bronze) in total.
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