National weightlifting c’ships: Gulam Navi wins 67kg title

Edges out Susant Sahu in a thrilling contest.

Published : Feb 24, 2019 22:44 IST , VISAKHAPATNAM

Gulam Navi exults after winning gold, in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
Gulam Navi exults after winning gold, in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
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Gulam Navi exults after winning gold, in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

Eighteen-year-old Gulam Navi edged out seasoned campaigner Susant Sahu in a thrilling contest to win the men’s 67kg title in the National weightlifting championships at the Railway Indoor Sports Enclave here on Sunday.

A flawless Navi shone in a competitive field, comprising several international lifters, to aggregate 280kg and pip an injured Sahu by one kg for his maiden National crown. His achievement came on the back of gold-medal winning performances in the National junior championships and Khelo India Games, where the Services lifter beat Youth Olympics champion Jeremy Lalrinnunga.

After seven lifters recorded between 118kg and 121kg in snatch, Navi — who had hoisted 120kg — began clean and jerk at a high 152kg and followed it up with 157kg.

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Railways’ Sahu, who reduced his initial snatch entry from 120kg to 115kg due to the recurrence of a lower back injury during warm-up, lifted 121kg in snatch. He fell on the platform because of the pain after finishing each of his clean-and-jerk effort, but managed 158kg in his last attempt to total 279kg.

‘Determined’

Needing a three-kg improvement in his concluding try, Navi, an Army Sports Institute product, rose to the challenge by returning 160kg.

“I was determined to do the last lift successfully,” said Navi, who hails from Uttarakhand.

S. Thasana Chanu, a silver medallist in 64kg last year’s Nationals, upset previous edition’s champion Rakhi Halder to take the women’s 63kg gold medal.

Manipur lifter Thasana totalled 212kg to beat Railways’ Rakhi, who had been nursing a knee injury for over two months, by eight kg.

  • Men
  • 67kg: 1. Gulam Navi (SSCB) snatch 120kg, clean and jerk 160kg, total 280kg; 2. Susant Sahu (RSPB) 121kg, 158kg, 279kg; 3. T. Sudheer (AP) 120kg, 151kg, 271kg.
  • Women
  • 63kg: 1. S. Thasana Chanu (Mani) 90kg, 122kg, 212kg; 2. Rakhi Halder (RSPB) 87kg, 117kg, 204kg; 3. Anju Chauhan (Har) 86kg, 116kg, 202kg.
  • 71kg: 1. Sarbjeet Kaur (Pun) 89kg, 124kg, 213kg; 2. Lalchhanhimi (Miz) 92kg, 115kg, 207kg; 3. K. Sarjubala Devi (Mani) 89kg, 113kg, 202kg.
  • 76kg: 1. Manpreet Kaur (Pun) 97kg, 120kg, 217kg; 2. Deepika Handa (Chd) 84kg, 120kg, 204kg; 3. Shashi Yadav (RSPB) 91kg, 112kg, 203kg.
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