Glasgow, July 29 (IANS) India’s hopes of adding another weightlifting medal to its impressive Commonwealth Games 2026 haul suffered a setback on Wednesday after teenage lifter Sanjana bowed out of the women’s 77kg competition without registering a successful lift in the snatch phase.
The 19-year-old, competing in her maiden Commonwealth Games, was unable to clear her opening weight of 94kg despite three attempts, bringing her campaign to an unexpected end before the clean and jerk segment even began.
Under competition rules, athletes must record at least one valid snatch lift to remain in contention. With no successful effort on the board, Sanjana was eliminated from the contest, denying her the opportunity to compete in the clean and jerk, a discipline in which she had been expected to make significant gains.
The result came as a surprise given the Indian youngster’s credentials heading into the event. Based on the declared entry weights, Sanjana carried the second-highest combined total in the field, 94kg in the snatch and 122kg in the clean and jerk, trailing only Samoa’s Seine Stowers and positioning herself among the leading contenders for a podium finish.
Instead, the competition ended almost before it had begun, marking one of India’s biggest disappointments in the weightlifting arena at the Glasgow Games.
Sanjana also became only the second Indian weightlifter to leave the competition without a medal after Nirupama Devi, whose campaign in the women’s 63kg category ended in a ‘Did Not Finish’ following three failed clean and jerk attempts despite completing the snatch.
Despite the setback, Sanjana remains one of India’s brightest prospects in the sport. She first made her mark by collecting medals and setting national records at the youth level before graduating to the senior circuit.
Earlier this year, she announced herself on the continental stage with an impressive performance at the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Gandhinagar. Lifting a career-best total of 220kg, 96kg in the snatch and 124kg in the clean and jerk, the youngster claimed bronze medals in the snatch, clean and jerk and overall standings, performances that secured her place in India’s Commonwealth Games squad.
India’s weightlifting campaign in Glasgow has otherwise been productive, yielding seven medals so far, led by Mirabai Chanu’s gold in the women’s 48kg category. However, Sanjana’s early exit served as a reminder of the unforgiving nature of the sport, where a single phase can determine the fate of an athlete’s entire competition.
–IANS
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