Four Odia Weightlifters won Gold Medals

Four out of the five Odia members in the Indian contingent won medals at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship at Apia, Samoa. Puri girl Minati Sethi, who represents the Indian Railways team in national events, grabbed a gold medal in the senior women’s 58-kg segment. Minati’s effort to lift a total of 175kg (75kg + 100kg) helped her bag the gold.

While Arun Shanta won a gold medal in the 56-kg Youth Boys category, national champion Tikina Gopal grabbed a gold medal in the senior women’s 53-kg. Achyutananda Sahoo of Kendrapara, too, won a gold medal (junior men 62-kg).

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik congratulated all of them. Sports lovers as well as family members and well wishers of the weightlifters in the state have been cheering for their performance ever since the news broke out.