Indian lifters unearth a gold mine at Melbourne

Former World champion and Asian Games silver medallist N Kunjarani led the gold rush for India when she lifted 167.5 kg in 48 kg category. Kunjarani lifted 72.5 in snatch and 90 kg in jerk for the top position.It was a grand comeback for Kunjarani Devi after she was initially kept out of the team for Melbourne after the results from the February National Games in Imphal was taken into consideration for selecting the squad.

The second gold was clinched by Nandini Devi in the 53 kg category with a total lift of 167.5 kg — 77.5 in snatch and 90 in jerk while Krishna Kumari topped in the 58 kgevent with a lift of 172.5 kg. She lifted 72.5 in snatch and 100 kg in jerk.

Former world champion Karnam Malleswari’s gold medal winning performance came in 63 kg category. Malleswari had a total lift of 205 — 92.5 in snatch and 112.5 in jerk — and in the process she set up a new meet record in snatch by 2.5 kg.

The fifth gold was claimed by Neelam Laxmi in 69 kg category. Neelam picked 97.5 kg in snatch and 125 kg in jerk to finish with a total of 222.5. She rewrote a new meet record in snatch, erasing existing mark of 95 kg with a lift of 97.5 kg.

In men’s section, veteran T Muthu grabbed the gold in 56 kg event. Muthu had a total lift of 240 — 105 kg in snatch and 135 in jerk. T M Sundereswaran’s lift of 225 kg — 100 in snatch and 125 in jerk — earned him the silver.The Indian women have thus given a vastly improved performance upon the four gold and one silver they won at Nauru.