Weightlifter Gurdeep Singh Bags Bronze In +109kg

Birmingham: Gurdeep Singh rounded off India’s weightlifting campaign with a bronze medal in the +109kg event at the Commonwealth Games here on Wednesday. The-26-year-old Singh, son of a farmer, had a best effort of 390kg (167kg+223kg) for a podium finish and India’s first-ever medal in the heavyweight category. With his 223kg clean and jerk effort, Singh bettered his personal best and also rewrote his own national record.

“I had a wrist injury so couldn’t give my best in snatch otherwise I would have landed a silver,” said the seven-time national champion.

The gold went to Paksitan’s Muhammad Nooh Butt for his Games record-breaking lift of 405kg (173kg+232kg).

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New Zealand’s David Andrew Liti clinched the silver for his effort of 394kg (170kg+224kg).

Singh, who hails from Majri Rasluri village near Khanna in Punjab, wasn’t off to the best of starts as he fluffed his first snatch attempt of 167kg. He managed to lift the weight in his second try. However, he failed in his third attempt of 173kg.

Entering the clean and jerk in the joint third spot, Singh started with a 207kg lift.

There was some nervous moments for the Indian as he failed his second clean and jerk attempt of 215kg.

But Singh increased the barbell by eight kilograms and lifted it successfully to register 223kg, a personal best for the Punjab lifter.

With the bronze from Singh, India ended its weightlifting campaign with 10 medals — three gold, three silver and four bronze.