Mina Santa and Hrudananda Das won one gold medal each on international debut. Also from the Weightlifting HPC, Mina won the yellow metal in youth girls 55kg class with a total lift of 160kg. She lifted 73kg in snatch and 87kg in clean and jerk.

Hrudananda Das, from Dhenkanal Sub-Centre of Weightlifting HPC, captured the gold in youth boys 73kg weight class with a total lift of 250kg, which included 110kg in snatch and 140kg in clean & jerk.

Jhilli Dalabehera, the fouvourite of the championship, however, settled for the silver medal in senior women 49kg category, lifting 75kg in snatch, 94kg in clean & jerk and 169kg in total on July 12. Gyaneshwari Yadav (India) beat Jhilli to win the gold with total lift of 176kg.

Speaking on the performance of the Odisha lifters, coach and Olympian K Ravi Kumar said, “It is a day of great pride for lifters from Odisha. Their immense hard work has paid off and we are looking forward to watching them win many more medals for Odisha and India.”

He further expressed his gratitude towards the State of Odisha for empowering young weightlifters, he said, “We are immensely grateful to the government for their support and assistance in promoting weightlifting. Their initiatives have provided us with the necessary resources, infrastructure, and opportunities to nurture our lifters.”
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TOP: Odisha medal winners with coach K Ravi Kumar at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Noida, Uttar Pradesh on 14 July 2023.
RIGHT: Odisha lifters (L-R) Mina Santa, Jyoshna Sabar, Jhilli Dalabehera and Hrudananda Das pose with their medals at the Commonwealth Championships in Noida, Uttar Pradesh on 14 July 2023.