Mirabai opens Manipur’s medal account in 36th National Games

Our Correspondent
Imphal, Sep. 30 (EMN): Two months after winning India’s first gold medal in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Saikhom Mirabai Devi on Friday won the first gold medal for Manipur in the 49kg weightlifting competition at the 36th National Games Gujarat.

Her compatriot from the state, Kh Sanjita Chanu, won the silver and Odisha’s Sneha Soren settled for a bronze.

Mirabai secured the first position with a total of 107kg as and a 2kg lead over Sanjita. Mirabai secured 191 scores as she comfortably lifted 103kg in clean and jerk in her first attempt while Sanjita and Soren bagged 187 and 169 scores.

Mirabai won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics held last year after the postponement of the Games in 2020 due to COVID-19 outbreak.

President of Manipur Olympic Association, Dr Th Radheshyam, who is leading the state contingent, congratulated the Mirabai and Sanjita for their commendable performances.

”With the first gold and silver from weightlifting, we’re expecting a better position in the ongoing Games unlike the previous National Games performance in Kerala,” Radheshyam said.

On the second day of the Games, Manipur bagged a gold and silver each from weightlifting and another bronze from fencing (Sabre-L Abi).

In the 35^th National Games held in Kerala in 2015, Manipur secured 7th position with a total haul of 69 medals including 22 gold medals. With more than 300 athletes, coaches and officials, Manipur is participating in 21 sports disciplines in the 36th National Games in Gujarat.