INDIA GETS FIRST YOUTH OLY GOLD
15-year-old Jeremy, 16-year old Manu win golds
● Weightlifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga scripted history by winning India’s maiden gold.
Buenos Aires, Oct. 9: Weightlifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga scripted history by winning India’s maiden gold medal at the Youth Olympics, claiming the top honours in the men’s 62kg category here.
Meanwhile, Manu Bhaker produced a spectacular performance to claim India’s first ever gold medal in shooting at the Youth Olympic Games, rediscovering the touch that made her a teen sensation.
The 16-year-old Bhaker shot 236.5 to finish on top of the podium in the women’s 10m air pistol event, making up for the heartbreak at the Asian Games in Indonesia and the World Championship where she could not live up to her billing.
Russia’s Iana Enina won the silver with 235.9, while Nino Khutsiberidze bagged the bronze medal.
Super Jeremy
The 15-year-old from Aizwal, who is also a world youth silver-medallist, lifted a total of 274kg (124kg +150kg) to finish on top in the Argentine capital on Monday night.
The silver medal went to Turkey’s Toptas Caner, who lifted 263 kg (122kg+141kg), while Colombia’s Villar Estiven Jose took the bronze with an effort of 260 kg (115kg+143kg).
The Mizo sensation, who will turn 16 on October 26, is being touted as the next big thing in Indian weightlifting.
“Lalrinnunga’s father, Lalneihtluanga, is a former boxer who has seven national-level gold medals to his credit,” said N. Thangchungnunga, the president of the Mizoram Weightlifting Association.
Lalrinnunga was himself an aspiring boxer before he shifted to weightlifting on the advice of coaches and was picked up by the Army Sports Institute scouts in 2011 at the age of 8.
His father is currently employed with Mizoram’s Public Works department.
Earlier this year, Lalrinnunga claimed a silver (youth) and a bronze (junior) in the Asian Championships, smashing two national records in the process.
His maiden gold also means that India are set to record their best ever performance at the Youth Olympics.
The country has already won four medals with Tushar Mane and Mehuli Ghosh bagging a silver each in 10m rifle shooting while Thangjam Tababi Devi won India’s first medal in judo by finishing second in the 44kg category.
India won just two medals — a silver and a bronze — in the last Youth Olympics in 2014 in Nanjing in China. In the inaugural 2010 edition in Singapore, the nation fetched six silver and a couple of bronze medals.
Important win
“This is an important win for me. It will be a morale booster (after the Asian Games disappointment) as I look forward with an aim to bring home more laurels,” Bhaker said after winning the gold.
“I have always tried to give my best and sometimes there may not be success. But the endeavour is to do well, shoot well, shoot high scores. It is satisfying.”
Bhaker began the eightwoman final with a 10.0 and later followed it up with a 10.1 and 10.4.
She led the Stage 1 with 99.3 after a sequence that included seven scores of 10 and above.