Raja wins men’s 65kg gold at National Weightlifting Championships

Tamil Nadu’s M Raja won the men’s 65kg gold at the National Weightlifting Championships with a total lift of 302kg. Bindyarani Devi claimed gold in the women’s 58kg, while Usha set a national snatch record at 93kg

Modinagar: Tamil Nadu’s M Raja outclassed a strong field, including Commonwealth Games champion Jeremy Lalrinnunga, to clinch the men’s 65kg gold medal at the National Weightlifting Championships here on Saturday.

The 26-year-old Raja, a Commonwealth Championships silver medallist, lifted a combined 302kg (130kg snatch, 172kg clean and jerk) to finish comfortably ahead of the competition.

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Charu Pesi of the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) secured silver with a total of 296kg (129kg, 167kg).

Mizoram’s Jeremy, the 2018 Youth Olympic champion, endured an off-colour outing, failing three attempts including two in snatch, and finished with 295kg (133kg, 167kg) to settle for bronze.

Former Commonwealth Championships gold medallist Shubham Todkar had a disappointing campaign, finishing seventh with a total of 263kg (118kg, 145kg).

Meanwhile, Services lifter Arumugapandian Maharajan produced a remarkable double-gold performance, sweeping both the Youth and Junior categories with a total lift of 282kg, underlining his emergence as one of India’s most promising young talents.

In the women’s 58kg competition, Commonwealth Games silver medallist Bindyarani Devi of Railways secured gold with a total lift of 208kg (89kg, 119kg). Railways’ Usha lifted 206kg (93kg, 113kg), setting a new national snatch record at 93kg, to claim silver. Odisha’s Rima Bhoi took bronze with 193kg (83kg, 110kg).