This year Sri Lanka recorded their best performance at a Commonwealth Games, collecting a total of 06 medals at the 2018 Gold Coast games which was held in Australia.
The tally might be increased to 07 medals with reports emerging that the Island could be awarded another weightlifting bronze medal.
Weightlifter Chamari Warnakulasuriya, who competed in the Women’s 53Kg weight category, was placed 4th in the event clearing a total weight of 172Kg, Snatching 78Kg while she lifted 94Kg in the ‘Clean and Jerk’. With the weight she cleared, Chamari went past her personal best also establishing a National record for the highest weight cleared in the Women’s 53Kg category. Chamari was devastated that she missed out on a medal with the Indian Sanjita Chanu Khumukcham winning Gold and Dika Tou of PNG and Canadian Rachel LeBlanc-Bazinet taking silver and bronze respectively.
Related – https://www.thepapare.com/commonwealth-games-indika-lifts-way-sri-lankas-first-silver/
However, the ambitious weightlifter from Sri Lanka is now in line to be awarded a Commonwealth medal with the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) revealing that the Indian Gold medal winner in the Women’s 53Kg category at the Commonwealth Games, Sanjitha Khumukcham has failed a doping test last month and could have her Commonwealth Games gold medal stripped. This would lead the way for Dika Tou of PNG and Rachel LeBlanc-Bazinet of Canada to receive Gold and Silver respectively while Chamari who was placed fourth is in line to be awarded the Bronze medal.
Sri Lankan Weightlifters became the most successful Sri Lankan team at the Gold Coast games, managing to clinch a total of 3 medals which consisted of 01 Silver and 02 Bronze medals.
Related – https://www.thepapare.com/the-team-that-lifted-the-weight-of-a-nation/
It was unfortunate that this ambitious weightlifter was denied a chance to revel in the glory of winning a medal for her country at what is easily one of the biggest international competitions that she will take part in her career. However, we sincerely hope that justice would prevail and Chamari will be awarded the commonwealth medal she richly deserves.
