Weightlifter P Gururaja bagged the first medal for India at the 21st Commonwealth Games. He won a silver in the men’s 56-kilogram category at Gold Coast, Australia on March 5. Izhar Ahmed of Malaysia won gold with a new Commonwealth Games record of 261 kg.
India’s Gururaja attempted 111 kg in the snatch and 138 kg in the clean and jerk, for a total of 249 kg.
Soon after news of Gururaja bagging the silver medal broke, many celebs including Virender Sehwag and Ishant Sharma took to their official Twitter handle to congratulate the lifter. Here are few reactions:
We have our first medal. Many congratulations to GURURAJA for coming second and winning_ #Medal at the @GC2018 lifting total weight of 249kg in the Men’s 56kg event! Super proud of you Gururaja !#GC2018Weightlifting pic.twitter.com/gde39VMfoZ
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) 5 April 2018
Abhi toh india ne jitna suru kiya hai.
— shubhamshamitab (@shubhamshamitab) 5 April 2018
India bags its first medal in the Commonwealth Games 2018! Heartiest congratulations to weightlifter #Gururaja for clinching the silver medal in Men’s 56 kg category. With this positive start, may the winning streak for the Indian contigent continue! #CWG2018 pic.twitter.com/QVfHcpMOUT
— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) 5 April 2018
He set a new Games record in the snatch by lifting 117 kg in his second attempt, bettering the previous record set by his compatriot Ibrahim at the New Delhi Games in 2010.
CONGRATS #Gururaja for winning India’s first medal(Silver) at #GC2018 in men’s 56 kg ctgry #weightlifting____ 249kg pic.twitter.com/JLzeZj3NZH
— Ishant Sharma (@ImIshant) 5 April 2018
Tweeples! Join hands to support & applause for our athletes. Superb start to #CommonwealthGames2018! Congrats #Gururaja on winning the silver medal in weightlifting today.#CWG2018 #GC2018__ #GC2018Weightlifting pic.twitter.com/sG9txhIwpM
— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) 5 April 2018
He cleared 144 kg in the clean and jerk, which his personal best. Chaturanga Lakmal of Sri Lanka claimed bronze with a total of 244 kg. He managed 110 kg in the snatch and 134 kg in clean and jerk.
Heartiest Congratulations to #Gururaja on clinching the first medal for India at #GC2018weightlifting as he wins the Silver medal by lifting a total of 249kg. #GC2018 #CWG2018 pic.twitter.com/tFHPi5WH8o
— Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) 5 April 2018
Gururaja, son of a truck driver, hails from a small village in Karnataka.
