Khoni conquers summit

MUMBAI, DECEMBER 28: Two illustrious weightlifting policewomen must have nodded in approval when P Khoni Devi of Police Sports Control Boa...

MUMBAI, DECEMBER 28: Two illustrious weightlifting policewomen must have nodded in approval when P Khoni Devi of Police Sports Control Board rewrote the 69 kg women8217;s clean and jerk national record in the Senior National Weightlifting competition at Subhash Maidan, Kalyan, on Tuesday.

The first, veteran Kunjurani Devi, because Khoni belongs to her state and is a fellow alumnus of the SAI Hostel Imphal. The second, international N Lakhmi of AP because the previous record of 125 kg stood in her name.

Khoni stared with 87.5 kg snatch, admittedly her Achilles Heel. It was enough to fetch her gold. Her second attempt in the clean and jerk camp;j of 115 kg assured her of two more gold medals as silver and bronze medallists Bela Rani and P Shailaja respectively fell at 110-kg hurdle.

Khoni Devi quickly revised her third and final attempt from 117.5 to 125.5 kg to get a shot at the record. The crowd watched with bated breath as the feisty and well-built policewoman stayed up the jerk.

At 20, Khoni Devi isin the cusp between juniors and women8217;s. She stood fourth in Junior World Championships in 1997-98 and hopes Tuesday8217;s performance will earn her a place in the senior Indian squad for the Asian Championship at Osaka Japan in May.

Her current coach Goel of SAI Delhi said this performance would have ranked sixth or seventh in Asia. 8220;She has to improve on her snatch,8221; he added.

Bela and Shailaja missed an identical 85-kg snatch, 110 camp;j and 195 overall but Bela 66.85kg won silver for weighing 550 grams lesser than Shailaja.

Story continues below this ad

Earlier, the 69kg men8217;s contest promised a battle between two 8217;98 Commonwealth bronze medalists 8212; Sandeep Kumar and M Arun.

Arun from ICS, Perambur, was a 62kg bronze medallist at Kuala Lumpur but was upgraded to this event after he failed to lose weight. Sandeep 8212; third in the 69kg event at Kuala Lumpur 8212; was the favourite but a bad back forced him to fourth position overall. Like Khoni, the 22-year-old Arun had a shy at the clean and jerk national record 165 kg butfailed.

Results
Men8217;s 69 kg snatch: V Sangaram Pondicherry 127.5 kg, M Arun Railways 125, G Vadivelu Services 125. Clean and jerk: Arun 162.5, Vadivelu 160, J Luthuraj Mah 155. Overall: Arun 287.5, Vadivelu 285, J Luthuraj 280.

62 kg snatch: S Ramachandran Mah, 59.8kg 115 kg, G Murugeshan Rlws, 61.1 115, Srikant Mudi Bengal, 61.2 115. Camp;J: Murugeshan 145, Janendar Singh Police, 61.5 145, S Ramachandran 142.5. Overall: Murugeshan 260, Janender 260, Ramachandran 257.5.

Story continues below this ad

Women8217;s 69 kg snatch: P Khoni Devi Police Sports Control Board 87.5 kg, Bela Rani FCI, 66.85 85, P Shailaja AP, 67.4 85. Camp;J: Khoni Devi 125.5 new national record, Bela Rani 110, Shailaja 110. Overall: Khoni Devi 212.5, Bela Rani 195, Shailaja 195.