India in Top 3 at CWG 2018

With 66 medals, India has definitely proven its mettle at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. The female athletes shone bright, clinching metal in table tennis, shooting and weightlifting, and breaking world records.

MC MARY KOM Gold, 45-48kg boxing

s s m s m who not only led the Indian contingent at s n m n n but also won the gold medal that eluded her in the last Games. The 35-year-old fivetime world champion has been pursuing the s n n n was first added to the program and she didn’t make the cut. Even now, after winning gold against Northern Ireland’s Kristina O’Hara in a 5-0 match, Kom isn’t thinking of retiring; she has her sights trained on her next goal: The Olympic gold.

MIRABAI CHANU Gold, women’s 48-kg weightlifting

After a terrific start to the Games by nu n n s gold in the women’s 48kg weightlifting on 5 April, other sportsmen of team India su . n u us left the competition far behind by setting Games and Commonwealth records in the snatch, clean and jerk as well as the total. She registered 86 kg in the snatch and 110 kg in clean and jerk for a total of 196 kg. Chanu broke six records in each of her six attempts in the competition, obliterating the previous Games record of 175 kg set by Nigeria’s Augustina Nwaokolo at the 2010 edition by a considerable distance.

Despite a tough life, the 23-year-old from Imphal East district, has fought hard to achieve her current status. Inspired by India’s weightlifting icon Kunjarani Devi, who also hails from her native n u nu s n 2007 and has not looked back since. Her n s m n u to demand a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) post for her so she could stay in the state. Chanu is currently employed by the Indian Railways. u

SANJITA CHANU Gold, women’s 53kg weightlifting

Sanjita Chanu landed India its second gold medal in the 53kg weightlifting category. Hailing from remote Umathel Kakching village in Kakching district of n u n n n . u s s ffi u one as the 24-year-old was dogged by poverty and lack of facilities throughout her growing-up years. n perceived slight in the best way possible - winning more medals at domestic and international tournaments. And that’s n u s n second Commonwealth Games gold, . n s . n n s declared a cash prize of Rs. 15 lakh for Sanjita as well.

Sanjita’s parents were hard pressed to meet all her expenses from their meagre resources. Her mother Leima said she used to work hard from morning to night to meet Sanjita’s needs and also encouraged her to push harder during training.

“Being a poor family, we could hardly nu us s s .

WOMEN’S TABLE TENNIS Gold, singles & doubles

The Indian women’s table tennis team was by far the best surprise since the m s n s . n Batra shocked the Singapore team that has never lost in the Commonwealth Games since the sport was inducted in the program way back in 2002. u s um s n u m s n ns defending champs of Singapore.

m n s n un n n u u . s u n u .

He has declared a cash prize of Rs. 15 lakh for the lifter. m n s m

Singh said all Indians are proud of her performance. u n m nu . .

Kom was promoted to Superintendent of . s ns u sports complex in all districts... Being a poor state we gave sportspersons all we could with our limited resources.”

Time and again she asked me whether she should give up her first love of sports. But I always replied that she should continue doing the exercises. I ran from pillar to post to provide her food and other items for her exercise,” Leima said. s m ffi s

. n u nm n her the post of a police constable after she won gold in the women’s 48 kg category at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, but the family s s n n . m s she exhorted Sanjita to reply to the

HEENA SIDHU Gold, women’s 25m air pistol

On 11 April, Sidhu won gold in 25m pistol event to give India its 11th gold medal in the Games. Experienced Sidhu registered 234 points to make it 1-2 for India at the top of the podium. It was her first m . m debut in 2010 New Delhi edition. During the qualifications, Bhaker topped the qualification stage with a total of 388 points. Sidhu qualified at the second spot with 379 points.

MANU BHAKER

Gold, women’s 10m air pistol

Haryana’s 16-year-old Bhaker produced a spectacular performance, setting a new . n s in the final round on 8 April. Bhaker was n n m m n n m n appearance, having won 10m air pistol and 10m air pistol mixed event gold medals u s n .

“I am very happy... it is my first Commonwealth Games and I won with a qualification record also. The gap between me and the second competitor, that was a huge margin. So it was a pleasure winning this medal for India and I am very, very happy,” Bhaker said.

Bhaker’s father, Ram Kishan Bhaker said she has never returned empty-handed from any tournament. Delighted at the 16-year-old’s feat, the senior Bhaker said, “It is easy to boast after a win. But the truth is she never returned empty-handed from any tournament, whether it be the school or national level.” n n s un nu un any kind of pressure ahead of her debut in the Commonwealth Games on Sunday, Ram replied in the negative.

He added that he had always encouraged the youngster to enjoy her game and play freely without bothering about the outcome.

“Before leaving for Gold Coast, I asked her to enjoy her game and not worry about su . nn n n s n any sport,” he said.

“She never takes pressure and always plays freely. She just focusses on each shot rather than the whole game. Her main us s n n n shot,” he said.

Opening up on his plans of celebrating m m s n ns n nu returns to her native in Goria, Haryana.”

PUNAM YADAV Gold, women’s 69kg weightlifting

Punam’s gold also meant that the country has five gold medals in an edition of the s m . lifted a total of 222 kg which included 100 kg in snatch and 122 kg in clean and jerk.

JITU RAI

Gold, men’s 10m air-pistol

The Nepal-born shooter, who was a 50m pistol gold medallist at the 2014 Glasgow

Manika

n n n the Games. He also made the final of the same event at the Rio Olympics where he finished eighth.

NEERAJ CHOPRA Gold, javelin throw

He became the first Indian javelin thrower to claim a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.

Other gold medallists include Saina Nehwal (women’s singles in badminton), s s n n n Batra (women’s singles table tennis), Vinesh Phogat (women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling), Gaurav Solanki (52kg boxing) weightlifter Venkat Rahul Ragala (men’s 85 kg category), Satish Kumar Sivalingam (men’s 77kg category), um m n s s wrestling), Sanjeev Rajput (50m rifle 3 position), Bajrang Punia (men’s 65kg freestyle wrestling), Tejaswini Sawant (women’s 50m rifle), Sushil Kumar (74kg wrestling), Rahul Aware (57kg wrestling), Anish Bhanwala (men’s 25 metres rapid fire pistol), Shreyasi Singh (women’s double trap), Indian men’s table tennis team and the Indian mixed team badminton claimed gold for the first time in the Games’ history.

MEHULI GHOSH

Silver, 10m women’s air-rifle n u n silver medal in the women’s 10m airrifle event. This was the youngster’s s n s s moment for her.

However, coach and former Olympian shooter Joydeep Karmakar said he is not over the moon just yet. “It’s a happy moment for us. This was her maiden n n n n n n n n n s n s is creditable,” he said. “Still, I will go low about it and I would like to say, being a coach and a technical person, there is much scope for improvement.”

Karmakar added, “I had a talk with her and the thing is, she is only 17 so, there was lack of experience somewhere. These are the things you learn from. She is lucky enough to have exposure of this kind and these kind of events will give us enough experience.”

PARDEEP SINGH Silver, 105kg, men’s weightlifting

On April 9, Pardeep Singh claimed a silver medal in the 105kg men’s n n . n s as a teacher at a government school in his n un un n u gained momentum in the second attempt.

P GURURAJ Silver, men’s

56kg men’s weightlifting

u u n n s medal account on the first competition day, claiming silver in the men’s 56kg category.

KIDAMBI SRIKANTH Silver, men’s singles badminton

Srikanth conquered the top spot of the m n s m n n n men’s singles rankings to be confirmed as . s m m m that won the country’s first mixed team gold medal at the Games, but had to settle for silver in the singles.

Other silver medallists include PV Sindhu (women’s singles, bandminton), Dipika Pallikal Karthik and Joshna Chinappa (women’s doubles, squash), Dipika Pallikal and Saurav Ghosal (mixed u s s u s n s us m n s 60kg boxing), Amit Panghal (men’s 46n n n um Das (women’s doubles, table tennis), n um u m n s m 3 positions), Pooja Dhanda (women’s s n us m m n s

97kg freestyle wrestling) Seema Punia (women’s discus throw), Babita Phogat (women’s 53kg freestyle wrestling), Tejaswini Sawant (50m prone finals, shooting).

Ravi Kumar

Bronze, men’s 10m air rifle

Ravi’s bronze medal in the 10m air rifle event ensured that India bag its third medal on the opening day of the shooting competitions. He shot a total of 224.1 to finish behind Australian Dane Sampson (245) and Bangladesh’s Abdullah Hel Baki (244.7), who won the gold and silver, respectively at the Belmont Shooting Centre. He had taken bronze in this event at last month’s International Shooting n u n u s .

Games. Thakur registered a total of 351 kg which included 159 kg in snatch and 192 kg in clean and jerk. Thakur, who had taken silver in the 85 kg division at n s n registered some of his best lifts in international competition.

DEEPAK LATHER Bronze, men’s 69kg weightlifting

Vikas

THAKUR

Bronze, men’s 94kg weightlifting

India’s Vikas Thakur took bronze in the men’s 94kg category of the weightlifting competition at the 21st Commonwealth

The 18-year-old from Haryana made news by becoming the youngest Indian weightlifter to claim a Commonwealth Games medal. This is the youngster’s first m . n s n trained as a diver at the Army Sports Institute but was coaxed into trying his hand at weightlifting by his coaches.

OM MITHARWAL Bronze, 50m

air-pistol u n n m s n a bronze medal. He finished first in the qualification round after shooting 584 points to equal the Commonwealth Games record. On 11 April, Om also won bronze in the men’s 50m pistol event.

Other bronze medallists include Apurvi Chandela (women’s 10m air-rifle), Navjeet Kaur Dhillon (women’s discus throw), Kiran Bishnoi (women’s 76kg wrestling), n u m n s u s n Sachin Chaudhary (men’s heavyweight category in para powerlifting), Naman n m n s n n and G. Sathiyan (mixed doubles table tennis), Sharath Kamal (men’s singles table tennis), Harmeet Desai and Sanil Shankar Shetty (men’s doubles table tennis), Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy (women’s doubles badminton), Somveer (men’s 86kg s s n s m n s s n n um m n s n uss mu n mm m n s 55kg boxing) and Divya Kakran women’s 68kg freestyle wrestling).

IANS Photos AP