Glasgow: Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu scripted another golden chapter in Indian weightlifting history by clinching the women’s 48kg title at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow on Sunday, completing a hat-trick of Commonwealth Games gold medals while shattering the Games and Commonwealth snatch records in the process.
Mirabai, who was India’s first gold medallist at the Glasgow Games, recovered from a difficult beginning to give a dominant performance; although she failed on her first attempt at the 82kg snatch, the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist managed to lift that weight on her second try and then increased the bar to 85kg on her last attempt, thereby setting new records at the Commonwealth Games in the event as well as new Commonwealth Records.
Having taken an eight-kilogram lead on the clean and jerk as a result of her record-setting snatch, the Manipuri lifter dropped the bar on her first attempt at the clean and jerk, but responded in a champion’s manner by lifting 105kg on her second attempt and thus secured the gold medal well before the competition ended.
This victory was Mirabai’s third consecutive gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, having won at the 2018 Games held in Gold Coast and at the 2022 Games in Birmingham, which once again confirms her position as one of India’s finest weightlifters.
At an earlier stage of the day, India opened up its medal tally with Rishikanta Singh Chanambam, who delivered a impressive performance to win a silver medal in the men’s 60kg event.
Rishikanta surpassed the Commonwealth Games record in the snatch by lifting 121kg, which was above the previous record of 120kg. He then lifted 143kg in the clean and jerk, bringing his total weight to 264kg and thus winning the silver medal.
Bin Kasdan Mohamad Aniq from Malaysia ultimately won the gold medal with a total weight of 273kg, the Commonwealth Games record, and Joshua Amunga Mboya from Kenya secured the bronze medal with 260kg.
–IANS
