Ajith Narayana wins gold, Nirupama Devi Seram clinches silver at Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships

Indian lifters enjoyed a strong outing at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships on Wednesday in Ahmedabad, with Ajith Narayana and Nirupama Devi Seram returning with gold and silver finishes in the men's 71kg and women's 63kg category respectively . Narayana, competing in the men’s 71kg division, produced a stellar performance to clinch the gold medal with a total lift of 317kg (145kg snatch + 172kg clean & jerk). The 26-year-old also set new Commonwealth records during his winning effort. He edged past Nigeria’s Joseph Edidiong Umoafia in a tense contest. Umoafia, who managed 316kg (146kg snatch + 170kg clean & jerk), had to be content with silver, while Nauru’s Ezekiel Moses secured bronze with 290kg (135kg snatch + 155kg clean & jerk). India also celebrated success in the women’s 63kg event, where Nirupama Devi Seram bagged silver. The 24-year-old lifted 217kg in total (91kg snatch + 126kg clean & jerk), with her clean & jerk effort bettering the previous Commonwealth standard. Canada’s Maude Charron was a class apart, taking gold with a record-breaking display, while Nigeria’s Ruth Imoleayo Ayodele earned bronze with 212kg (95kg snatch + 117kg clean & jerk). The junior section brought further cheer for India as Hemanta Doimari and Bidusmita Bhoi delivered gold medals in the men’s and women’s 71kg and 63kg categories respectively. Doimari, just 18, kept his composure in a tight battle to finish with 264kg (118kg snatch + 146kg clean & jerk), edging South Africa’s Jonathan Evan Trumble, who tallied 262kg. Sri Lanka’s Oditha Tharupathi Narayanage took bronze with 206kg. In the women’s junior 63kg, 20-year-old Bhoi recovered from a slow start to secure the top prize with 204kg (89kg snatch + 115kg clean & jerk). Nauru’s Femily-Crystie Notte finished second on 200kg, while Australia’s Chloe Saliba took bronze with 180kg. The twin medals in the senior events, coupled with a golden sweep in juniors, underlined India’s depth in weightlifting at the Commonwealth level.