Chinthana Vidanage lifts another gold

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Chinthana Vidanage pocketed his first SAG 'gold' winning the 62 kgs weight lifting event while compatriot Emil Nishantha secured the second place in the 56 kgs category winning a silver at the 10th SAG Games at the Colombo University Gymnasium yesterday.

Vidanage's first lift in the snatch event 112 kgs was not allowed, but in his second he was successful lifting 114 kgs. Going for the record in the snatch event which was 123 kgs, Vidanage failed. He also had a go at the clean and jerk record which was 161 kgs. There too he was not successful.

In the 56 kgs weight category Usman Akbar of Pakistan won the gold establishing a new SAF record, and Akramul Haque of Bangladesh secured the bronze. Pakistan, S. M. Mushtaq Ghafoor won the second place winning the medal behind Vidanage in the 62 kg category and Hamidul Islam took the bronze.

56 kgs.

1. Usman Akbar (Pakistan) 28 points. 2. Emil Nishantha (Sri Lanka) 25 points. 3. Akramul Haque (Bangladesh) 23 points.

62 kgs.

Chintana Vidanage (Sri Lanka) 28 points. 2. Ishtaq Ghafoor (Pakistan) 25 points. Hamidul Islam (Bangladesh) 23.