MODINAGAR, Feb 7: Tamil Nadu’s M Raja outclassed a field that included 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 field.
Charu Pesi of the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) secured the silver medal 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 the snatch, and finished with an overall effort of 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.
His total lift of 282kg earned him the top honours in both divisions, underlining his emergence as one of India’s most promising young weightlifting talents. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
