India ran away with opening day honours in the weightlifting competition of the 20th Commonwealth Games with Sukhen Dey and K Sanjita Chanu winning the gold medal in their respective events here.
The Indian team bagged four out of six medals on offer on day one of the competition yesterday.
Sanjita and Saikhom Mirabai Chanu opened India's campaign on a flying note by winning a gold and silver respectively in women's 48kg before Dey and Ganesh Mali bagged with first and third position in men's 56kg to cap a remarkable day for the Indians at the Clyde Auditorium.
The 25-year-old Dey lifted a total of 248kg (109+139) after trailing at the halfway snatch stage, but came back strongly in clean and jerk to win the gold. He had also won a silver in the 2010 Delhi CWG besides bagging a gold in the 2013 Commonwealth Championships in November last year.
21-year-old Mali was leading after snatch but slipped behind in clean and jerk to settle for bronze with a total lift of 244kg (111+133). Malaysia's Mohd Pisol Zulheimi was at fourth after snatch but recovered in fine fashion to bag the silver with a total lift of 245kg (108+137).
Zulheimi and another Malaysian, Mohd Faizal Baharom, gave a tough competition to Dey and Mali from the beginning but the Indians had the support in their side with a seizable crowd rooting for them with the tri-colour in their hands.
Baharom set the ball rolling with a lift of 110kg in snatch and Dey failed to clear 111kg after lifting 109kg in his earlier attempt.
Mali, however, did better than his compatriot to lift 111kg and occupy the top slot with Baharom on second with 110kg and Dey on 109kg at third after snatch event.
Mali's effort of 133kg in his second attempt in clean and jerk was adjudged no-lift by the jury, but he cleared the weight in his next attempt.
Dey jumped to the top spot with a lift of 136kg but Zulmeihi came into the mix with a clean and jerk of 136kg to jump to joint second.
He then lifted 137kg to equal Dey at the top, leaving Mali at third.
Dey then went ahead by lifting 138kg and pumped in the air with delight after totalling 248kg. He tried 146kg in an attempt to break the Commonwealth Games record in clean and jerk but failed.
Nonetheless, he ran away with the title.
