Indians sweep gold in cycling, lifting

Indians finished first and second each in both the men’s 40 km individual time trial and women’s 30 km individual time trial finals to begin the cycling competition on a high. 

Tourangbam Bidyalaxmi won the women’s 30 km individual time trial event in a time of 49 minutes 24.573 seconds ahead of compatriot and fellow Manipuri Elangbam Chaoba Devi, who clocked 49 minutes 31.311 seconds in the road race at the national highway number 37. Sahiba Bibi of Pakistan won the bronze in a time of 50:10.598. 

In the men’s 40 km individual time trial final, Arvind Panwar clocked 52 minutes and 28.800 seconds to win the gold while his Indian team-mate Manjeet Singh was second in 54 minute and 1.183 seconds. Janaka Hemantha Kumara of Sri Lanka was third in 55:25.441. 

India had dominated cycling in the last edition in Dhaka as well by winning 3 gold and a silver. Sri Lanka had won 1 gold and 1 silver then. 

Later, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, silver medalist at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, opened the medal account for India in weightlifting in women’s 48 kg weight category. 

She lifted a total of 169 kg (79 kg in snatch + 90 kg in clean and jerk). All her efforts in snatch, clean and jerk and total are South Asian Games records as women’s weightlifting has been included for the first time in the SAG. 

Dinusha Hansani Bomiriyaga Gomas of Sri Lanka won the silver with a total lift of 145 kg (65 kg+80 kg), while Molla Shabira of Bangladesh bagged the bronze medal with an effort of 143 kg (63 kg+80 kg).