Weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, along with two other Manipur lifters, claimed three gold medals in the 2019 Commonwealth senior (men and women), junior (men and women) and youth (boys and girls) weightlifting championship under way at Apia, Samoa in the South Pacific.

So far, Indian weightlifters have bagged eight gold medals, three silver and two bronze medals in the championship, which is a qualification events for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, competing in the senior women’s 49kg category lifted 84kg in the snatch event and 107kg in clean-and-jerk category for a total of 191kg for the gold.

Sorokhaibam Bindyarani Devi, in the 55kg category, lifted 78kg in snatch and 105kg in the clean-and-jerk for 183kg for the gold medal.

Ch. Rishikanta Singh also claimed a gold medal in the senior men’s 55kg category, lifting 105kg in snatch and 130kg in clean and jerk for a total of 235kg. Rishikanta Singh became the first Manipur male weightlifter to claim a gold medal with 235kg.

Other weightlifters from the state, L. Sadananda Singh in the 73kg youth category and S. Nirupama Devi in the 64kg youth and junior event, are also participating in the championship, which will continue till July 14.

The other Indian weightlifters who claimed gold medals in the championship are Jhilli Dalebehera in the 45kg senior women’s category, Bornali Borah in the 45kg junior women category, Soumya Dalvi in the 40kg youth girls’ category, Bhaktaraman Desti in the 49kg junior men’s category and junior boys’ category, S. Mirabai Chanu in 49kg senior women, S. Bidyarani Devi in 55kg senior women and Ch. Rishikanta in the senior men’s 55kg.

The silver medallists are Sakshi Maske in the junior women’s 45kg, Matsa Santoshi in senior women’s 55kg and Sneha Soren in the junior women’s 55kg while the bronze medallists are Rekhamoni Gogoi in the youth girls’ 40kg and Saloni Singh in the junior women’s 55kg.

The Manipur Weightlifting Association has congratulated the weightlifters on theirs success and wished them a bright future in the Tokyo Olympics.