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Weightlifting: Harita, Sateesh bag golds

By G. Narasimha Rao

VISAKHAPATNAM DEC. 17. It was a highly satisfying day for host Andhra Pradesh in the weightlifting competition at the port's Kalavani auditorium here on Tuesday. It picked up two golds through junior youth Asia gold medalist P. Haritha in the 63 kg category, with string of records attached to it, and international Sateesh Rai (77 kg), seen in a major competition after being banned for using a stimulant during the Commonwealth Games, who also improved his clean and jerk meet record, equalled the total record and lost snatch mark to S. Srinivasan of Tamil Nadu. K. Ramadevi clinched bronze behind L. Monika Devi of Manipur in the 63 kg category.

The keen fight for the gold in the 63 kg category women's event saw Pratima Kumari of Jharkhand, being eliminated from the competition after failing in all her three attempts in clean and jerk.

In the men's 85 kg category, Tejinder Singh of Punjab improved his own meet records in snatch, set last year at Patiala and also that of total, created by Services' Paramjit Sharma three years ago at Manipur, during his gold-winning performance. Senthil Kumar of Tamil Nadu, one of the favourites, finished with a total lift of 315 kg each but the former being 100 grams lighter, clinched the silver medal.

The day started with the 63 kg women's category with Haritha, Pratima Kumari and Monika promising a keen contest by seeking 90 kg for their first lifts in an attempt to erase Pratima's last Games record of 92.5 kg, created when she represented Haryana. The three lifters quickly erased the record but all of them failed to improve it by another 2.5 kg in their final lifts.

In the clean and jerk Haritha cleared 115 kg in her first attempt to equal her own meet record and in the process set a new record in total at that point of the competition, surpassing Pratima Kumari's total record of 207.5 kg, by five kg. Monika cleared 110 kg and Pratima in her turn, hiked her first lift from 110 kg to 117.5, to straightaway erase Haritha's last Games record of 115 kg, but failed. Haritha, who equalled her record in her first attempt at which Monika failed, then lifted the same weight to improve her own record and also the record for total. Pratima could not complete the lift with 117.5 weight in her second attempt and Monika also sought the same weight but failed. Pratima, in a do-or-die situation, sought 120 kg for her third and final lift, which was also the penultimate lift of the competition, but sadly she failed. Haritha attempted the same weight to further improve her fresh record, but was not successful.

K. Ramadevi, started well with 107.5 kg but could not pass the 112.5 kg weight. However, this performance was sufficient for her to clinch the bronze.

Results: Men: 77 kg: 1. Sateesh Rai (AP, 135, 175 NMR and 310 kg EMR), 2. S. Srinivasan (TN, 140 NMR, 167.5 and 307.5), 3. A. Md. Zaheer (MP). (Old meet records: snatch 137.5 kg, clean jerk 172.5 kg and total 310 kg, all by Sateesh Rai in 2001).

85 kg: 1. Tejinder Singh (Punjab, 150 NMR, 175 and 325 kg NMR), 2. Senthil Kumar (TN), 3. Sandeep Maindan (Karnataka). (Old records: Snatch 147.5 kg by Tejinder Singh in 2001, total 317.5 kg by Paramjit Sharma of Services in 1999).

Women: 63 kg: 1. P. Haritha (AP, 95, 117.5 and 212.5 kg all NMRs), 2. L. Monika Devi (Manipur), 3. K. Ramadevi (AP). Old records: 92.5 kg by Pratima Devi, 115 kg by Haritha and 207.5 kg by Pratima, all in 2001. Monika Devi and Pratima also set new records with 95 kg in snatch.

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