CWG 2022: From enthralling haul in athletics to lawn bowls teams making it big, India’s 61 medals signal greener pastures ahead
With a rich haul of 61 medals (22 gold, 16 silver, and 23 bronze) at this edition of the Commonwealth Games, the Birmingham Games turned out to be one of the most memorable editions for the 210-strong Indian contingent. Slipping out of the usual top-five was seen as a real possibility in the absence of shooting but phenomenal success in athletics and lawn bowls propelled India to a commendable fourth-place finish. Here’s a lowdown on some of the eye-catching highlights from the Indians at the event.
Expect the unexpected
No Neeraj Chopra, no problem. Eldhose Paul and Abdullah Aboobacker’s rare 1-2 finish in men’s triple jump will be cherished for long. Avinash Sable’s silver in 3,000m steeplechase and Tejaswin Shankar’s bronze in high jump were also a first for India, while Murali Sreeshankar’s silver in men’s long jump was the country’s first medal since 1978.
Annu Rani, too, etched her name in the history books by becoming the first Indian female athlete to secure a medal — a bronze — in javelin throw. Priyanka Goswami and Sandeep Kumar brought medals in 10,000 metres race walk, contributing immensely to the success.
Weightlifting Wonders
Mirabai Chanu | women’s 49kg
The superstar Manipuri weightlifter successfully defended her 49kg title and gave India the first gold at the Birmingham Games. The Tokyo Olympics silver medallist aggregated a total of 201kg (88kg + 113kg) to stamp her authority in the competition and achieve a Commonwealth Games record in the process.
Achinta Sheuli | men’s 73kg
TThe Bengalese weightlifter clinched his maiden CWG gold and went on to set a Games record by lifting 313kg. He lifted 143kg in snatch (Games Record and also equal to his previous PB) and 170kg in clean and jerk. The 20-year-old won the silver medal at the 2021 Junior World Weightlifting Championships and is also a two-time Commonwealth Championships gold medallist.
Jeremy Lalrinnunga | men’s 67kg
Hailing from Mizoram, Lalrinnunga won gold in the 67kg category, with a Games record lift of 140kg in snatch and 160kg in clean and jerk. The 19-year-old represented India in the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires and won India’s maiden gold in the event in the boys’ 62kg category.
Sudhir | men’s heavyweight
A para athlete with a polio-induced impairment, Sudhir claimed gold in the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting event and opened India’s para sports medal account. Sudhir lifted 208kg in his first attempt before increasing it to 212kg in his second effort to gather 134.5 points and break the Games record.
Aging like a fine wine
Achanta Sharath Kamal | men’s singles
Veteran Sharath Kamal’s name will go down in history as he became only the second Indian paddler to win two gold at the Commonwealth Games, the first in Melbourne in 2006 and the second in Birmingham in great style. With his spectacular gold in Birmingham, the 40-year-old’s overall medal tally has gone up to 13 at the showpiece event since his debut in the 2006 edition.
Smashing wins
PV Sindhu | women’s singles
Having won silver (2018 Gold Coast) and bronze (2014 Glasgow), an elusive gold was missing from PV Sindhu’s kitty and she did it in style in Birmingham. The two-time Olympics medallist gave India its first badminton gold on the last day by beating Canada’s Michelle Li in the final.
Lakshya Sen | men’s singles
Lakshya Sen, the young sensation, made a memorable CWG debut with his maiden gold in Birmingham. Sen came from behind to end Ng Tze Yong’s giant-killing run in the competition with a straight-game win.
Chirag Shetty-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy | men’s doubles
The men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty bettered their performance from the Gold Coast 2018 and clinched gold in Birmingham after defeating England’s Ben Lane and Sean Mendy in straight games.
Bowled to limelight
The feel-good story of the Games came from the lawn bowls greens in Victoria Park. A police constable, sports teacher and a forest officer combined to capture the imagination of the entire country by winning the women’s fours gold in a sport still alien to many in India. The team comprised Lovely Choubey, Pinki, Rupa Rani Tirkey and Nayanmoni Saikia. Inspired by them, the men’s quartet — Navneet Singh, Chandan Kumar Singh, Sunil Bahadur and Dinesh Kumar — too sprang a surprise by winning silver. — Agencies
The great expectations
Manika Batra
In contrast to her counterparts in the TT squad, Manika Batra — winner of four medals including two gold at Gold Coast — had to return empty-handed from Birmingham after failing to reach the podium in a single event.
Lovlina Borgohain
Her prep-up to the CWG endured a blow after she alleged “mental harassment” because her personal coach Sandhya Gurung was denied entry into the Games Village. Then, at the opening ceremony she left early and struggled to find a cab to the Games Village. It seems Lovlina ended up making headlines for all the wrong reasons — after all, she was beaten in the quarterfinals by Welsh Rosie Eccles.
