India’s Sunday has started with yet another gold medal from the weightlifting arena at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Varanasi’s Punam Yadav bagged the country’s fifth gold medal in Gold Coast by sweeping out the competition in the women’s 69 kg category.
Competing in the event made famous by Karnam Malleswari, Yadav completed the snatch round tied for the top with Vaivai Apolonia of Fiji. Both lifters has accomplished 100 kgs each.
The clean and jerk though saw a tough battle between Punam and England’s Sarah Davies. Both eventually lifted 122 kgs after Davis failed in her final attempt of 128.
Yadav, a bronze-medallist from the 2014 Glasgow edition, bagged the gold with 222kg (110kg+122kg) and Davies finished second with 217kg (95kg+122kg).
The bronze medal was won by Fiji's Apolonia Vaivai with an effort of 216kg (100kg+116kg).
I was expecting a good fight but from Fiji not England. I was a little nervous when Sarah went for 128kg in her final lift. She was capable of pulling it off. But then it’s all about fate, I got what was my destiny and she got what was her destiny. Thankfully our physio was allowed inside for sometime for strapping my knee, I have slight pain there.Punam Yadav, Gold medallist
Yadav had claimed a silver at last year's Commonwealth Championships last year, her first event after making the jump from 63kg to 69kg category.
Earlier Mirabai Chanu (48kg), Sanjita Chanu (53kg), Sathish Sivalingam (77kg) and Venkat Rahul Ragala (85kg) had claimed gold medals in the ongoing edition.
"I came to India camp in 2014 after taking up weightlifting on the insistence of my elder sister. She got me into it," she said when asked about her initiation into the sport.
The 22-year-old, who finds it tough to even remember her own phone number, was quite candid about her family, which she says, is financially stable now after her 2014 Glasgow medal.
"My father took a loan at that time to support my training but now we repaid that after my medal. He doesn't do anything apart from pooja paath at home, my mother is a housewife. Me and my sister, we run the finances of our house.
"We are a normal financially stable family. We were not that great some years ago but we are alright now. I am working with the Indian Railways now," she added proudly.
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