Asian Championships: India lifter Ajay Singh tops group

Ajay Singh

Indian weightlifters Ajay Singh and Achinta Sheuli finished first and third respectively in easier group B competitions at the Asian Weightlifting Championship here on Monday. Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships bronze medallist Ajay lifted 320kg (142kg+178kg) in the men's 81kg group B event to be placed at the top of the four-man field.

His final standing will be determined on Tuesday after the end of group A proceedings. National champion Achinta finished third with a total lift of 297kg -- 137kg in snatch and 160kg in clean and jerk -- in the 77kg group B event.

The 18-year-old finished behind Indonesia's Rahmat Erwin Abdullah 312kg (141kg+171kg) and Vietnam's Pham Tuan Anh 304kg (133kg+171kg). On Sunday, the country's top weightlifter Mirabai Chanu produced her personal best but missed the podium by a whisker in the 49kg category.

In the men's 67 kg group B competitions, Youth Olympics gold medallist Jeremy Lalrinnunga set three world records. Jhilli Dalabehera is the sole India medallist so far. The Odisha-born weightlifter lifted 162kg (71kg+91kg) to clinch the silver medal in the women's 45kg event, which though is a non-Olympic category.

The Asian Weighlifting Championships is a a gold level qualifying event of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The points gathered from this event will come in handy when the final rankings for the Olympics are made next year.

Gomathi, Toor bag gold medals

Unheralded half miler Gomathi Marimuthu and shot putter Tejinderpal Singh Toor clinched a gold each to share the limelight as India bagged five medals on the second day of the Asian Athletics Championships here Monday. The 30-year-old Gomathi clocked a personal best time of 2 minute 02.70 seconds in the women's 800m race to open India's gold account.

"I did not realise till I crossed the finish line that I have won a gold medal. The last 150m was very tight race," Gomathi said later. National record holder and pre-competition favourite Toor's first round throw of 20.22m was enough to fetch him a gold in the men's shot put final at the Khalifa Stadium.

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