V Srinivasa Rao gave India its first medal in weightlifting when he won the silver in the men's 56 kg event at the first Afro-Asian Games on Saturday.
All-African Games' champion Olupono Gbenga of Nigeria won the gold in the event
Srivinvasa finished with an aggregate of 240 kgs (105 and 135) 7.5 kgs behind the champion, who lifted 247.5 kgs (107.5 and 140).
Tsai Sheng Fen of Chinese Taipei took the bronze with a lift of 210 kg (90 and 120).
Amidst cheers from the holiday crowd, Srinivasa Rao had a neat lift of 90 kg in the snatch but failed to hold 105 kg in the second, which he succeeded in holding on in the third lift.
In the clean and jerk, Srinivasa Rao had a fluent lift of 127.5 kg and 135 kg. He however fumbled with 142.5 kg and took the second slot in both the snatch and clean and jerk.
"I had been shuttling from Jabalpur to Mumbai too often and it has affected by performance. I could not give my best," he said.
Olupona had a flawless lift of 105 kg in the first attempt of snatch and improved it to 107.5 but failed to hold 110 kg in the third attempt.
In clean and jerk, he successfully lifted 135 kg and went for 140 in the second.
Raising the weight by five more kgs, the Nigerian could not hold on in the third attempt.
"I knew that I am winning the title. There was a lot of preparation and I had put in lot of hard work," he said after the competition.
After finishing with 90 kgs in the third attempt, Sheng Fen started off with a bang, lifting 120 kg in the clean and jerk.
Attempting to stretch the form further, he revised the weights for 127.5 kg and fell flat. In a bid to make for everything, he had a last try by seeking 130 kg but could not hold on.
The script was no different in the 62 kg event with All-Africa Games champion Akwa Etinene Abasi of Nigeria keeping his reputation in tact with a clearance of 275 kg (120 and 155) to win the gold.
The Indian challenge was confined to a bronze, with Chandan Deep Singh aggregating 255kg (110 and 145).
Ronnayath Amnoiwong of Thailand took the silver with a total of 257.7(115, 142.5).
In the snatch event, Chandan after going for 110 kg with a clean lift fumbled in the two subsequent efforts with 115 kg while the swanky Nigerian gradually rose from 110 kg in first to 115 in the second to 120 in the final.
Thai lifter Ronnayath started off with 115 but failed with 120 in the two subsequent attempts while the Korean Kim Sea Hyuk opened with 115 and could not make it in all his three attempts.
In the clean and jerk, Chandan Deep Singh fumbled for a fraction and his attempt to lift 137.5 kg was disallowed. But the Indian made amends in the next two attempts to lift 140 and 145 kgs.
Akwa had a flawless lift of the 150 and followed it up with 155 in the second and went for 160 in the final attempt but was a shade shaky and the jury ruled "no lift".
Results:
(Men) 56 kg: 1-Gbenga Olupona (Nigeria) 247.5kg (107.5, 140), 2- V Srinivasa Rao (Ind) 240kg (105, 135), Tsai Sheng Fen(Tpe), 210 kg ( 90,120).
Men 62 kg: 1- Etiene Abasi Ernest Akwa (Nigeria) 275 kg (120, 155), 2- Ronnayath Amnoiwong (Thailand) 257.7kg (115, 142.5), 3- Chandan Deep Singh (India) 255kg (110, 145)
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