Martina Devi’s Commonwealth Games Debut
Martina Devi Maibam, an Indian super-heavyweight lifter, concluded her Commonwealth Games debut with a fifth-place finish in the women’s +86kg weightlifting event. The 20-year-old Manipuri lifter achieved a total lift of 245kg, comprising a 105kg snatch and a 140kg clean and jerk. Her performance on Thursday saw her narrowly miss out on a medal.
Despite matching the overall total of New Zealand’s Tui-Alofa Patolo, Martina Devi placed fifth due to having a higher number of failed attempts during the competition. The event was won by England’s Emily Campbell, who successfully defended her title with a total lift of 278kg (115kg snatch + 163kg clean and jerk), setting new Commonwealth and Games records in the clean and jerk. Malaysia’s Siti Aqilah Farhana Draman secured the silver medal with 253kg, while Canada’s Etta Mae Love took bronze with 250kg.
A Resilient Comeback
Martina Devi’s competition began with significant challenges. She failed her initial two snatch attempts at 103kg, putting her on the verge of elimination. In a strategic move, head coach Vijay Sharma decided to increase the weight to 105kg for her final snatch attempt, rather than repeating the previous weight. This gamble proved successful, as Martina Devi executed a clean lift, keeping her medal aspirations alive.
The emotional impact of this successful lift was evident as she left the platform. Carrying this momentum into the clean and jerk segment, she comfortably cleared 140kg on her first attempt. This lift surpassed her previous personal best of 136kg and temporarily placed her in medal contention. However, to secure a podium finish, she needed to achieve higher lifts.
Her second attempt at 144kg was unsuccessful, and her final effort at 146kg also could not be completed. This marked an emotional conclusion to her campaign, as she again left the platform in tears. Despite the heartbreak of missing a medal, her spirited recovery from early failures highlighted her potential in the sport.
Other Indian athletes were also in action on Thursday. In the men’s +110kg weightlifting final, Lovepreet Singh began his medal quest. He declared an opening snatch of 170kg and a clean and jerk of 205kg, positioning him among the leading contenders. Based on qualification totals, Lovepreet Singh entered the event as the second-highest ranked lifter, with a best of 380kg (175kg snatch + 212kg clean and jerk). Samoa’s Mao Sanele topped the entry list with 400kg, while New Zealand’s Liti David Andrew (365kg) and Wales’ James Wales (340kg) were also strong contenders, alongside England’s Andrew Griffiths (358kg).
In athletics, Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Samardeep Singh Gill participated in the men’s shot put final. Samardeep Singh Gill opened his campaign with a throw of 19.56m on his first attempt. He had five more attempts to improve his mark. Tajinderpal Singh Toor was also set to begin his competition, providing India with two medal hopes in the event. Animesh Kujur competed in the men’s 200m semifinal, while Tejaswin Shankar was involved in the men’s decathlon high jump and 400m events. Seema Kaliramna and Nidhi Rani were scheduled for the women’s discus throw final, and Parul Chaudhary competed in the women’s 5000m final.
In lawn bowls, India’s men’s pair of Navneet Singh and Dinesh Kumar secured a tie-breaker victory against Botswana. They won the first set 9-2, but Botswana took the second set 4-3, leading to a tie-breaker where the Indian duo won by a single point. In the women’s singles sectional play, Nayanmoni Saikia faced Malaysia’s Emma Firyana Saroji. Saikia lost the first set 6-4, and the second set was closely contested, with both players level at 2-2 at one point. Ultimately, Saikia suffered a defeat after the second set ended in a draw, with Saroji securing three points to draw the set after Saikia had led 6-3.
The Commonwealth Games 2026 continued to feature various events on July 30.
Source: indiatoday.in
Arjun Sharma
Sports Reporter