Mirabai Chanu lifts gold in Singapore

Singapore, February 25

Star Indian lifter Mirabai Chanu qualified for the 2022 Commonwealth Games (CWG) in the 55kg category today by clinching the gold in the Singapore Weightlifting International here.

Competing in the 55kg class for the first time, Chanu lifted 191kg (86kg 105kg) to stand on top of the podium in an uncompetitive field.

Australia’s Jessica Sewastenko, who won silver, had a best effort of 167kg (77kg 90kg), a whopping 24kg less than Chanu.

Elly Cassandra Englebert of Malaysia finished third with a best effort of 165kg (75kg 90kg).

The other three Indian lifters competing on Day 1 of the event — Sanket Sagar (55kg), Rishikanta Singh (55kg) and Bindyarani Devi (59kg) — also sealed CWG berths.

Having pulled out of the World Championships in December, this was Chanu’s first competitive event since the historic Tokyo Games performance last July, when she bagged India’s first silver medal in weightlifting at the Olympics.

“Seven months of intense training and my never-ending love for the sport continues to pay off as I qualify for the @CWG2022 in the 55kg and 49kg category,” Chanu said after the win. —