Omkar Otari and Punam Yadav won a bronze each in the men’s 69kg competition and the women’s 63kg category to continue India’s strong show in weightlifting on Sunday, adding sixth and seventh medal to the Indian tally.
26-year-old Otari was leading at the halfway stage but his disappointing show at the clean and jerk cost him a better medal as he was taken over by Mohd Hafifi Mansor of Malaysia and Yinka Ayenuwa of Nigeria.
Mansor won the gold with a lift of 305kg (135+170) while Yinka bagged the silver with an aggregate of 301kg (130+171). Otari lifted a total of 296kg (136+160). He had lifted 296kg (135+161) while winning the National Championships.
On the other hand, Punam, who won a bronze in junior Asian Championship early this year, was locked in a gripping battle with Olayuwatoyin Adesanmi and defending champion Obioma Okoli, but the two Nigerian athletes totalled five kilos more than the Indian.
Both Adesanmi and Okoli totalled 207kg but the former was awarded gold as her body weight was one kilo less than the defending champion at 62kg. Punam's best lifts in both Snatch and Clean and Jerk came in her third attempts. After starting with 85kg, Punam ended her Snatch attempts with a final lift of 88kg.
In the Clean and Jerk, the 19-year-old Punam continued to improve on her lifts, managing 110kg, 114kg before ending with a flourish with a clean lift of 117kg.
Earlier, it was a competition between Otari and Commonwealth Championships winner Mansor of Malaysia at the snatch stage. Otari began his snatch with 130kg and then went on to lift 134kg and 136kg in his next two attempts. Mansor started at 135kg but could not lift 137kg in his next two attempts to concede the lead to Otari.
In the clean and jerk, Otari began with a 155kg and then went on to lift 160kg in his second attempt. But, surprisingly, he decided to go for an attempt of 162kg even before Mansor had begun his clean and jerk. The Indian failed in his attempt and that gave a clear advantage to the Malaysian.