CWG: Weightlifters can win India its first medal today

Sukhen Dey is competing in 56kg category

Glasgow: India's first medal in the 20th Commonwealth Games is expected to come today from weightlifting when the competitions begin with the women's 48kg and men's 56kg weight categories, respectively, here.


Sukhen Dey is competing in 56kg category

In both weight categories, the Indians are expected to win medals and today's performance may set the stage for their challenge at the Games, where they would look to do better than the 2010 Delhi edition.

Nigeria topped the weightlifting medal charts in 2010 edition with five gold, four silver and five bronze followed by Samoa (3, 0, 0) and India (2, 2, 4). This time also, India, with six lifters from 2010 Games, are likely to maintain that level of performance.

Medals likely
Khumukcham Sanjita and Saikhom Mirabai Chanu are competing today in women's 48kg and India has the chance to win two medals from this category. This has been a strong category for India since the days of Kunjarani Devi. India had won a silver and bronze in this category in 2010.

The Indian duo will have a strong competitor in Chika Amalaha of Nigeria, who had won silver in 53kg in 2013 Commonwealth Championships in November, but is competing in 48kg class here.

Sanjita and Mirabai lifted 179kg (79+100) and 161kg (72+89) respectively in the Senior National Weightlifting Championships in March-April. Mirabai won gold in 2013 Commonwealth Championships with a total lift of 166kg (73+93).

In men's 56kg that will also be held today, India can win a gold medal in the absence of defending champion, Malaysia's Amirul Hamizan Ibrahim.

Sukhen Dey and Ganesh Mali are competing in this category and this is another event from which both the Indians can win a medal each as competition is less here.

The 25-year-old Dey, who won a silver in 2010 with a total lift of 252kg (112+140) is the top-ranked lifter in men's 56kg.