Mirabai Chanu hands India its first gold at CWG 2018

Weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu made India proud on Thursday as she bagged the country's first gold medal in the women's weightlifting 48 kg category event of the 2018 Commonwealth Games here at the Carrara Stadium in Gold Coat, Australia.

On the opening day of the event, Chanu made everything looked so easy as she snapped the Commonwealth and Commonwealth Games' weightlifting record by lifting a total of 196 kg--picking 86 kg snatch and 110 kg in clean-and-jerk.

In her first attempt in snatch, the 23-year-old lifted 80 kg before improving it with 84 kg and 86 kg lifts in her other two attempts.

Meanwhile, Chanu lifted 103 kg in her first attempt at lean and jerk, following it with a lift of 107 kg and then improving it in the third attempt by lifting 110 kg.

The previous best record at the Games was held by Augustine Nwaokolo of Nigeria, who lifted 175 kg in 2010 event.

By bagging a gold medal, Chanu handed India their second medal in the competition after weightlifter P Gururaja knocked off India's medal tally at the Games by clinching a silver medal in the men's 56kg category.

In 2017, Gururaja had claimed a Commonwealth Championships bronze in Australia.

The Day One of the events also saw India beat Sri Lanka by 3-0 in the badminton mixed-team championship.

--ANI