Tashkent: Indian weightlifter Lovepreet Singh won the silver medal in the men’s 109kg at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2021 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Thursday. A bronze medallist at the junior championships, Lovepreet Singh lifted a total of 348kg (161+187) and stood 12th on the overall leaderboard at the World Weightlifting Championships. Lovepreet Singh was followed by Australia’s Jackson Roberts-Young who managed a combined lift of 337kg (145+192). All gold medallists at the Commonwealth meet to make the cut for the Birmingham 2022 Games.
Three Indian weightlifters- Jeremy Lalrinnunga, Achinta Sheuli and Ajay Singh – have qualified so far. Weightlifters competing at the Commonwealth Championships are only awarded medals for their combined (snatch and clean and jerk) lifts. Anuradha Pavunraj clinched the bronze medal in women’s 87kg at the Commonwealth championships with a combined effort of 195kg (90+105). With this, India’s medal count at the Commonwealth championships rises to 14.
However, Jhilli Dalabehera’s silver in the 49kg clean and jerk remains the only medal for India at the world championships so far. The championships conclude on Friday with the women’s +87kg Group A and men’s +109kg. India’s Purnima Pandey, who was placed in women’s +87kg Group B, lifted a credible 229kg (102kg+127) on Thursday. Gurdeep Singh, meanwhile, will be seen in action on the final day.