The Indian weightlifting team made headlines once again as Lovepreet Singh claimed the bronze medal in the men’s 109kg category at the Commonwealth Games 2022 on Wednesday. The 24-year-old helped India to win its 14th overall medal and fourth bronze as he lifted a total of 355kg (163kg+192kg) on August 3. The weightlifter also set a new national record as he won the bronze medal in Birmingham.

Singh began on a strong note as he registered 163kg in the snatch category, the second-most by any lifter participating in the event. He attempted 157kg on his first try and lifted the weight successfully. He attempted gradual increases of 161kg and 163kg in the second and third attempts and registered his best in the final attempt of snatch.

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Jack Hitila Opeloge of Samoa and Pierre-Alexandre Bessette of Canada were close competitors to Lovepreet, with the former lifting 164kg and the latter 163kg in snatch.

The 2021 Commonwealth Senior Championships silver medallist began on a positive note in the clean & jerk category as well. He attempted a successful 185kg lift in his first attempt in the clean & jerk category. He continued with two more attempts of 189kg and 192kg in the second and third tries, lifting both. It meant that his third attempt of 192kg was deemed as his best in the category, taking his total weight lifted to 355kg.

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The 192kg in clean & jerk also helped Lovepreet Singh to set a new national record in the said category. 

Cameroon’s Junior Periclex Ngadja Nyabeyeu won the gold medal with a total lift of 361kg while Samoa’s Jack Hitila Opeloge clinched the silver with 358kg.

Lovepreet Singh’s bronze medal win means that nine weightlifters have won medals for India at the Commonwealth Games 2022, more than any other discipline. The 24-year-old is also the second weightlifter to win the bronze medal, after Gururaja Poojary won it on July 30.