The Hindu : Sport : Soma Rani wins two bronze medals

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 25, 2007
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Soma Rani wins two bronze medals

Principal Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Indian weightlifters are back on the podium after a one-year hiatus from the international stage after the federation was banned following three positive dope tests in a calendar year.

Soma Rani added two more bronze medals on Tuesday to Renu Bala's collection of medals of the same colour at the Asian weightlifting championship in Tiain City, China.

Improvement

According to information received here, National champion Soma opened moderately with 80kg in snatch in the women's 63kg category, but improved in the clean and jerk with a lift of 108kg.

The effort in jerk fetched her the bronze medal and the total of 188kg also helped her collect yet another bronze.

The Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF), after having missed on participating in the Doha Asiad as it was unable to gather enough funds to pay the fine stipulated by the international federation, has sent a small team to China — basically to assess its preparations for the coming season.

Melbourne Commonwealth Games gold-medallist, Renu Bala, had opened India's account on Monday by clinching two bronze medals.

Her total of 204kg helped her to the podium, but was much below the top two lifters.

China's Qiu Hongmei won the gold medal in the 58kg category by a long distance.

On the way, she set a new World record in clean and jerk by raising 141kg and erased the old mark of fellow Chinese Chen Yanqing set at the Doha Asiad.

The 24-year-old Qui hoisted 241kg, ahead of Thailand's Thongsuk Sureeat (214kg).

Chanu fifth

On the opening day, Sanamacha Chanu had lifted 175kg with 75kg in snatch and 100kg in jerk to finish fifth.

China's Li Ping (225kg) won the gold, while Thailand's T.P. Jaroenrat (218kg) and Hong Kong's Yu Weili (191kg) took the silver and bronze respectively.

For Chanu, it was the first international competition after having served out a two-year ban following her positive dope test during the Athens Olympics.

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