Lovepreet wins silver, Seema claims Commonwealth Games bronze.
Praveen Chithravel, Selva Prabhu advanced in triple jump, while Tejaswin Shankar finished day one second overall after five decathlon events.
Key Highlights:
- Lovepreet Singh won silver after missing gold by just one kilogram.
- India finished its weightlifting campaign with eight medals.
- Seema Kaliramna secured bronze in women’s discus throw.
- Neeraj Chopra, Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh qualified for the javelin final.
- Martina Devi impressed on debut despite finishing fifth.
- Tajinderpal Singh Toor, Animesh Kujur and Vishal TK missed out on medals and finals.
India’s campaign at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow gathered fresh momentum on Thursday, July 30, with weightlifter Lovepreet Singh delivering the standout performance of the day by winning a record-breaking silver medal, while discus thrower Seema Kaliramna added a bronze to the country’s growing medal tally. The day also brought encouraging results in athletics as Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and two fellow Indian javelin throwers booked their places in the final, even as a few medal hopes fell short.
Lovepreet Singh came agonisingly close to winning gold in the men’s weightlifting competition. The Punjab lifter stunned the field with a Commonwealth Games record lift of 176kg in the snatch, taking a commanding 10kg lead into the clean and jerk. It looked as though the gold medal was firmly within his grasp, but New Zealand’s David Andrew Liti mounted a remarkable comeback. Liti produced a Games record lift of 223kg in his final clean and jerk attempt to edge past Lovepreet by just one kilogram overall, finishing with 389kg compared to the Indian’s 388kg.
Lovepreet attempted an ambitious 217kg lift that would have secured the gold but was unable to complete it. Despite the disappointment, the silver marked the finest achievement of his career and improved on the bronze medal he won at the previous Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Reflecting on his performance, Lovepreet admitted he had hoped to finish on top of the podium after his outstanding snatch display but accepted the narrow defeat with grace, saying he had lifted heavier weights during training.
The silver also completed an impressive campaign for India’s weightlifting contingent, which finished with eight medals — one gold, six silver and one bronze — underlining the country’s continued strength in the sport.
Young weightlifter Martina Devi also showed tremendous fighting spirit on her Commonwealth Games debut. The 18-year-old recovered from failing her opening two snatch attempts by successfully lifting 105kg on her final chance to stay in contention. She eventually recorded a total of 245kg but narrowly missed out on a medal after finishing fifth. Although she fell short of the podium, her resilience and composure under pressure highlighted her potential for the future.
India’s athletics team celebrated another medal through Seema Kaliramna, who won bronze in the women’s discus throw. The 27-year-old produced a best effort of 58.65m despite enduring an inconsistent series that included six fouls across the competition. Her medal-winning throw came in the third round and proved enough to secure third place after her closest rival failed to improve. Seema’s achievement carried extra significance as she returned to top-level competition after becoming a mother last year while simultaneously pursuing a PhD, making her success an inspiring story of determination and perseverance.
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra safely progressed to the men’s javelin throw final alongside compatriots Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh. Challenging windy conditions prevented athletes from reaching the automatic qualifying mark, but all three Indians advanced based on their performances. Chopra later described the weather as extremely difficult, saying the strong winds made it impossible for throwers to judge their attempts properly.
The day, however, was not without disappointment for India. Asian Games champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor finished fifth in the men’s shot put final, extending India’s wait for a first Commonwealth Games medal in the event. Sprinters Animesh Kujur and Vishal TK also failed to qualify for the finals of the men’s 200m and 400m respectively.