Martina Devi finishes fifth in Commonwealth Games weightlifting debut
Martina Devi Maibam, a Manipuri lifter, concluded her Commonwealth Games debut with a fifth-place finish in the women’s +86kg weightlifting event. The 20-year-old achieved a total lift of 245kg, comprising 105kg in snatch and 140kg in clean and jerk. Her performance on Thursday saw her match the overall total of New Zealand’s Tui-Alofa Patolo, but she missed out on fourth place due to a higher number of failed attempts.
The event was dominated by England’s Emily Campbell, a two-time Olympic medallist, who successfully defended her Commonwealth Games title. Campbell lifted 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 earned bronze with 250kg.
A Resilient Comeback
Martina Devi’s campaign faced an early challenge when she failed her initial two snatch attempts at 103kg. This left her with only one opportunity to remain in the competition. In a strategic decision, head coach Vijay Sharma opted to increase the weight to 105kg for her final attempt, rather than repeating the previous weight.
This tactical move proved successful as Martina executed a flawless lift, dramatically keeping her medal aspirations alive. The emotional impact of this moment was visible as she left the platform in tears, having overcome a significant hurdle in her competition. This momentum carried into the clean and jerk segment of the event.
She comfortably cleared 140kg on her first clean and jerk attempt, a lift that surpassed her previous personal best of 136kg. This achievement briefly propelled her into medal contention. However, to secure a podium finish, Martina needed to execute heavier lifts. She was unsuccessful in her second attempt at 144kg and her final push at 146kg, which she could not complete.
The inability to complete the final lift brought an emotional end to her performance, as she again left the platform in tears. Despite narrowly missing a medal, her spirited recovery after two early failures highlighted her potential in the sport.
Other Indian Performances
On the same day, India secured two medals in other events. Lovepreet Singh earned a silver medal in the men’s 110kg+ weightlifting category, narrowly missing gold by 1kg. Seema Kaliramna secured a bronze medal in the women’s discus throw, contributing to India’s medal tally for the day.
In lawn bowls, India had two matches underway in Glasgow. In the men’s pairs sectional play, Dinesh Kumar and Navneet Singh competed against Botswana. Concurrently, in the women’s singles sectional play, Nayanmoni Saikia faced Malaysia’s Emma Firyana Saroji as India aimed to build momentum in the competition.
Yamini Mourya, a prominent Indian judoka in the women’s 57kg category, is also competing. She was the first Indian judoka to win a medal at the FISU World University Games 2023 and has since won gold medals at the Asian Open 2025 and African Open 2026. Yamini expressed her approach to tournaments, stating that in judo, one cannot think too far ahead, with focus always on the match in front and executing training. She highlighted that competing against strong international opponents has improved her as an athlete.
In athletics, India’s Vishal TK finished sixth in the first semi-final of the men’s 400m with a time of 46.33 seconds, making it unlikely for him to qualify for the final. Tejaswin Shankar achieved a season-best effort of 13.09m in his third and final attempt in the shot put, part of the men’s decathlon. This throw earned him 673 points, placing him seventh in the shot put standings among 12 competitors. After three events, Tejaswin has accumulated 2,558 points and is placed fifth overall, with Canada’s Damian Warner leading with 2,765 points.
The men’s team sprint qualifying saw a disappointing outcome for India, with the trio of Ronaldo Singh Laitonjam, David Beckham Elkatohchoongo, and Rojit Singh Yanglem finishing seventh and last with a time of 46.396 seconds. This result ended India’s medal hopes in the event, as only the top four teams progressed. Australia and England, the two fastest qualifiers, will compete for the gold medal, while Trinidad and Tobago and Wales will contend for bronze. In the men’s triple jump qualifying round, India’s Praveen Chithravel made a strong start, soaring 16.41m with his first attempt, placing him at the top of the standings, just 19cm short of the automatic qualification mark of 16.60m. His compatriot, Selva Prabhu Thirumaran, faced difficulties, failing to register a valid jump in his first two attempts, which leaves his qualification hopes uncertain. Athletes who achieve the automatic qualification standard of 16.60m, or the 12 best performers overall, will advance to the final.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
