Glasgow: India’s Bindyarani Devi Sorokhaibam secured the bronze medal in the women’s 58kg weightlifting competition at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow on Monday, adding another medal to the country’s growing tally.
The Manipur lifter finished third with a total lift of 199kg, registering 87kg in snatch and 112kg in the clean and jerk. Bindyarani Devi had won a silver medal in the 2022 edition in Birmingham in the 55kg weight-class.
The bronze medal took India’s tally to six medals with one gold, three silver and two bronze medals.
Nigeria’s Rafiatu Folashade Lawal dominated the event to claim the gold medal with a combined lift of 229kg (103kg snatch + 126kg clean and jerk). Canada’s Ann Sophie Taschereau took the silver medal with a total of 215kg (94kg snatch + 121kg clean and jerk). Lawal had won the gold medal four years back too in 59kg.
Bindyarani was tied with England’s Eliza Pratt after the snatch phase at 87kg, but the Indian lifter produced a stronger clean and jerk performance, successfully lifting 112kg to finish on the podium. She made two successful clean and jerk attempts at 110kg and 112kg before failing to clear 116kg on her final attempt.
It would be considered a slightly inferior performance for Bindyarani, as her personal best is 208kg, while in Glasgow she could only manage 199kg on Monday. Her first attempt in clean and jerk, which was initially rules ok before the jury declared it a no-lift because her elbows shook while she was executing the jerk portion, seems to have added to the pressure on her.
Pratt ended fourth with a total of 196kg, narrowly missing out on a medal.
The bronze continues India’s strong showing in weightlifting at the Glasgow Games, with the discipline once again proving to be one of the country’s biggest contributors to the medal tally.
Bindyarani, who has consistently been among India’s leading weightlifters on the international stage, displayed composure and determination throughout the competition to secure another major medal for the nation.
This was India’s second medal in weightlifting on Monday after Gyanehswari Yadav won silver in the women’s 53 kg. Earlier on Sunday, 2022 Tokyo Olympic Games silver medallist Mirabai Chanu won gold while Muthupandi Raja won a silver medal in the men’s 65kg.
(IANS)
