Ajay Singh tops group B in Asian Weightlifting C'ships

Ningbo (China): Indian weightlifters Ajay Singh and Achinta Sheuli finished first and third respectively in easier group B competitions at the Asian Weightlifting Championship here on Monday.

Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships bronze medallist Ajay lifted 320kg (142kg+178kg) in the men's 81kg group B event to be placed at the top of the four-man field. His final standing will be determined on Tuesday after the end of group A proceedings.

National champion Achinta finished third with a total lift of 297kg — 137kg in snatch and 160kg in clean and jerk — in the 77kg group B event. The 18-year-old finished behind Indonesia's Rahmat Erwin Abdullah 312kg (141kg+171kg) and Vietnam's Pham Tuan Anh 304kg (133kg+171kg).

On Sunday, the country's top weightlifter Mirabai Chanu produced her personal best but missed the podium by a whisker in the 49kg category. In the men's 67 kg group B competitions, Youth Olympics gold medallist Jeremy Lalrinnunga set three world records.

Jhilli Dalabehera is the sole India medallist so far. The Odisha-born weightlifter lifted 162kg (71kg+91kg) to clinch the silver medal in the women's 45kg event, which though is a non-Olympic category.

The Asian Weighlifting Championships is a a gold level qualifying event of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The points gathered from this event will come in handy when the final rankings for the Olympics are made next year.