EGAT Cup: Saikhom Mirabai Chanu bags gold in first competitive meet after injury

New Delhi: World champion Indian weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu Thursday notched up a gold medal at the EGAT Cup in Thailand, making a strong comeback from the lower back injury that kept her out of action for more than half of 2018.

According to information received, Chanu won the 48kg category gold with a effort of 192 kg in the silver level Olympic qualifying event, the points from which will come in handy when the final rankings for Tokyo 2020 cut are done.

The 24-year-old Manipuri lifted 82kg in snatch and 110kg in clean and jerk to finish on top of the podium after recovering from the injury, which required extensive physiotherapy.

Chanu had missed the world championships last year, a gold level Olympic qualifier, owing to the injury which had also forced her out of the Asian Games in Jakarta.

Chanu last took part at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast where she won gold with an effort of 196kg.

She had then lifted 86kg in snatch and 110kg in clean and jerk, a Games record and also her personal best.