The Hindu : Sport : It is a gold again for Kunjarani

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 17, 2006

Sport

Sport

It is a gold again for Kunjarani

— Photo: A P

LIFTING INDIAN SPIRITS: Kunjarani Devi became the first Indian gold medallist at the 18th Commonwealth Games in Melbourne on Thursday. The 38-year-old lifter set a new clean and jerk record (166 kg) in the 48 kg division for women.

MELBOURNE: Indian weightlifter N. Kunjarani Devi won the first gold medal of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, setting a new clean and jerk record to overcome Canada's Marilou Dozois-Prevost on Thursday.

Kunjarani, 38, retained her supremacy in the 48kg division by successfully lifting 94kg on her last attempt — two kg more than her record mark from the 2002 Games — after trailing Dozois-Prevost throughout the competition.

After lifting 72kg in snatch, Kunjarani claimed the gold with a total of 166. Dozois-Prevost raised 73 in snatch and 92 in clean and jerk.

Australia's Erika Yamasaki claimed the bronze with a total of 153.

Batta's attempt

Meanwhile, it was so-near-yet-so-far for 25-year-old lifter Vicky Batta, who had to settle for the silver in the men's 56kg after the gold slipped through his finger.

Batta cleared 131kg in his first attempt in clean-and-jerk and the gold looked well in his grasp with two lifts to go but the Indian lost concentration that resulted in no lifts in his second and third attempts when he was going for 136kg.

The gold was claimed by Malaysia's Mohd Faizal Baharom, who lifted 255kg as against Batta's total of 245. Interestingly, Batta's personal best is 250. Bronze went to Malaysia's Matin Guntali who lifted 238kg and pushed another Indian, Edwin Raju (235), to fourth place.

``I waited for this moment for four years, during which I did not interrupt my training — even for one day,'' said Kunjarani, tears rolling down her cheeks after managing to overhaul Dozois-Prevost, who is half her age.

``After winning in Manchester in 2002, I first stayed in training for the 2004 Olympics and then for these Commonwealth Games,'' said Kunjarani, who finished fourth in Athens.

Kunjarani credited her success to her experience and said it gave her a reason to aspire for an Olympic medal in the 2008 Beijing Games.

`For my country'

``I won the gold all because of experience. It is for my country. I am indebted to people who have prayed for me and supported me through out. I have been working for this Games during the last four years, without going home,'' Kunjarani said after winning the gold.

``If I am not faced with injury problems, I will surely compete in China in 2008 Olympic Games,'' she said.

Falters

Kunjarani faltered with her first try in snatch at 70 kg, but lifted it in the second attempt.

Dozois-Prevost maintained a starting weight in clean and jerk ahead of Devi, who started with 88 kg and then lifted 91 and 94.

Had Kunjarani faltered at 94, Dozois-Prevost would have won the gold.

Dozois-Prevost had a stroke of good luck when her second clean and jerk lift of 89 kg was first ruled `no lift' by the judges, but the decision was overruled by the jury on the spot.

Dozois-Prevost equalled Kunjarani's four-year-old games record of 92 kg in clean and jerk with her final attempt, only to see her Indian rival overhaul her again with her last lift.

Height advantage

Title contender Australia inflicted a humiliating 146-41 defeat on the Indian eves in a Group `A' preliminary basketball match. The Aussies, who led 72-20 at half-time, used their superior height to great advantage.

For India, Anitha Pauldurai was the top performer with an individual score of 21. Arnika Gujar (nine) and Anna Jose Geethu (eight) also chipped in to take the Indian score past the 40-mark.

Swimmers Rehan Poncha and Arjun Muralidharan failed to qualify for the 200m butterfly finals. Poncha finished fourth in the first heat returning a time of 2m 08.72s, while Muralidharan was fifth in 2m 06.58s competing against the best in the business.

In style

In contrast, the paddlers began their campaign in style and the men's team blanked Kiribati and then St Vincent and Grenada with identical 3-0 margins in Pool-IV, while the women's team toyed with Fiji before pounding them 3-0 in Pool-III.

In the match against Kiribati, Soumyadeep Roy opened the account beating Ioatene Tokannata 11-2, 11-6, 11-3. Achanta Sharath Kamal followed it up with an easy 11-2, 11-6, 11-1 victory over Allie Johnnie, while Subhajit Saha did not have to exert much for an 11-3, 11-2, 11-6 win over Toaaki Taorabo.

Against St. Vincent and Grenada, Achanta Kamal began with an 11-2, 11-4, 11-4 thrashing of Joseph Carrington, which was followed by Subhajit's effortless 11-2, 11-2, 11-2 victory against Sean Stanley and Soumyadeep rounded it off with an 11-2, 11-3, 11-4 win over Khalique Bailey.

With two wins, the Indian men are in joint lead at the top of the table in Pool-IV with host Australia.

In the women's team event against Fiji, Mouma Das put India ahead with an 11-1, 11-3, 11-3 crushing of Shriti Jeet. Poulomi Ghatak toyed with Kok Venetia beating the Fijian 11-2, 11-4, 11-3, while Nandita Saha had to toil a bit against Qu Rujuanto for an 11-8, 11-4, 11-6 victory.

India is now in the second place in Pool-III behind Malaysia which has won its two matches.

In good nick

Indian shuttlers too looked in good nick as they thrashed Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 in the preliminary badminton league match.

Aparna Popat first thumped N. Blake 21-7, 21-3, while Chetan Anand cut short D. Charles 21-8, 21-4 to make it 2-0 for India. Then in women's doubles Shruti Kurian and Trupti Murgunde finished the assignment hammering the hapless Blake and Quan Chee 21-7, 21-2.

Rupesh Kumar and Sanave Thomas accounted for Charles and D. Siu 21-7, 21-8 and in the mixed doubles Jwala Gutta and V. Diju were in an expansive mood as they overcame Quan Chee and A. Seepaul 21-12, 21-1. — Agencies

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