Kunjarani Devi wins first gold of the Games for India

Melbourne, Mar 16 (UNI) Veteran N Kunjarani Devi today lifted the hopes of the nation on her broad shoulders and earned the distinction of winning India's first gold medal of the 18th Commonwealth Games in the women's 48 kg weightlifting here today.

The 38-year old bespectacled Manipuri, the most decorated lifter of the country, thus retained her crown and title as she lifted a total of 166 kg to enable the Indian tricolour flutter high in the hall as the Games competition formally commenced today.

Kunjarani lifted 72kg in snatch and 94 kg in clean-and-jerk for the gold, even though she could not rewrite the Games record of 167 kg -- 75 kg in snatch and 92 kg in clean-and-jerk -- that stands in her name.

It was clearly not her best performance but Kunjarani did enough to give the Indian campaign a golden kick start in the Games.

The Indian, a Deputy Superintendent with the Central Reserve Force, was pre-tournament favourite and she justified her billing in a field of 11 lifters.

''I am very happy that I have the honour to win the first gold of the Games for my country,'' a beaming Kunjarani said later.

''I was confident of winning and was not worried when I muffed my first attempt in snatch,'' said the modest gold medal winner.

''I am thankful to all who had faith in me,'' she added.

It was not best of the competitions as the Indian never looked threatened though there was a sort of false alarm as she slipped and failed in her first attempt to lift 70 kg in snatch.

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