Staff Reporter
PANAJI, 26 Oct: Arunachal Pradesh opened their medal account at the 37th National Games with a bronze won by lifter Bengia Tani at Campal Sports Village here in Goa on Thursday.
He won the medal in the men’s 67 kg weight category with a total lift of 277 kgs. He lifted 121 kgs in snatch and 156 kgs in clean & jerk.
The 19-year-old boy from Koloriang in Kurung Kumey district is the son of Bengia Tado and Bengia Meme.
The lifter said that he could not perform up to his potential due to shoulder ligament injuries he had suffered during practice.
Tani is currently training at the Army Sports Institute, Pune.
On Thursday, four lifters, including Tani, had competed in different weight categories; but none of the lifters, except Tani, was able to make a podium finish.
Competing in the same weight category, another lifter from the state, Markio Tario, lifted 122 kgs in snatch and 153 kgs in clean & jerk to finish fourth. He failed to lift the 159 kg weight in his final two attempts in clean & jerk.
Tani and Tario (19) were the youngest among the six competitors in this weight category.
The gold and the silver medals in this category were won by Lalhunthara of Mizoram and Subhash Lahre of the Services Sports Control Board, respectively.
Lalhunthara lifted 122 kgs in snatch and 159 kgs in clean & jerk, while Lahre lifted 124 kgs in snatch and 156 kgs in clean & jerk.
In the women’s 59 kg category, Balo Yalam finished sixth among the eight competitors. She lifted 75 kgs in snatch and 100 kgs in clean & jerk.
The gold and the silver medals in this category were won by Popy Hazarika of Assam and Davinder Kour of Punjab.
While Hazarika lifted a total of 191 kgs (snatch 86 kgs + clean & jerk 105 kgs), Kour lifted 83 kgs in snatch and 100 in clean & jerk.
Another lifter from Arunachal, Posen Kongkang, finished in the last position among the six competitors. She lifted 73 kgs in snatch and 94 kgs in clean & jerk.
The gold medal in this category was won by Assam’s Ditimoni Sonowal, with a total of 200 kgs (snatch 88 kgs + clean & jerk 112 kgs).
Manipur’s S Nirupama Devi secured the silver medal. She lifted 85 kgs in snatch and 110 kgs in clean & jerk, for a total of 195 kgs.
Arunachal had fielded six athletes in the weightlifting event.
Later in the evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 37th National Games in Margao.
The inaugural ceremony was witnessed also by Arunachal’s Sports Minister Mama Natung, Education Minister and Arunachal Olympic Association president Taba Tedir, Sports Director Tadar Appa, and Arunachal Olympic Association secretary-general Bamang Tago to encourage the Arunachal squads.
Chef de mission Bulang Marik, (DSP), deputy chef de mission Nada Apa, and Tagru Magung are monitoring the Arunachal contingents.
