NEW DELHI, Oct 4 � Hosts India commenced their bid to clinch the number two position in the Commonwealth Games by scooping up two silver and as many bronze medals from the weightlifting arena but a gold eluded the hosts on the first day of competitions today.
Women lifters Soniya Chanu and Sandhya Devi Rani opened the medal chest for India by grabbing the silver and bronze in the 48 kg class. Augustina Nwaokolo of Nigeria won the gold with a Games record adding to its lustre.
Their men counterparts Sukhen Dey and V Srinivasa Rao followed suit later by clinching the silver and bronze in the 56 kg class behind winner Ibrahim Amirul Hamizan of Malaysia.
Chanu, favourite for the 48 kg gold medal, could not justify her billing and settled for silver by clearing 167 kg which was eight kg below Nwaokolo�s total clearance.
Sandya Rani took the bronze with a total clearance of 165 kg.
Later in the day, Dey and Rao picked up the silver and bronze behind Hamizan with total lifts of 252 and 248 kgs. The Malaysian�s title-winning effort was 257 kg. The first day of competitions began with an epoch-making maiden entry into the final by India�s men�s freestyle swimming quartet of Virdhawal Khade, Anshul Kothari, Arjun Jayaprakash and Aaron D�Souza.
The foursome finished sixth in the morning heats to make the evening final where they finished in the same position clocking 3 mins, 27.14 secs.
It�s the first time that in swimming the country had been represented in the final in the Commonwelth Games. � PTI
