Devi Kumari lifted 76 kg in clean and jerk of women´s 54 kg weight category to set a new national record. She had also set the previous national record during the Fifth National Games held in Kathmandu lifting 75 kg in clean and jerk of women´s 54 kg.[break]
However, she could not set national records in snatch and total lift. She lifted only 55 kg in snatch for a total of 131 kg to win gold in the event held in Mahendranagar.
"I was expecting to set national records in snatch as well as total lift but I could not balance properly in snatch. However, I´m happy to set a new national record in clean and jerk," she said.
A resident of Shambhunath VDC in Saptari, Devi Kumari had joined Nepal Police Club in 2062 BS.
Sailesh Rana
Nita Thapa of Central Region lifted 45 kg in snatch and 55 kg in clean and jerk for a total of 100 kg to claim silver in the event, while Punam Pariyar of Western Region lifted 42 kg in snatch and 55 kg in clean and jerk for a total of 97 kg to take the bronze medal.
Senior coach of weightlifting Partha Sarathi Sengupta said they are expecting women weightlifters to set more national records during the Sixth National Games. "As Nepal Army´s weightlifters are not playing this time, there could be less new national records in the men´s section, but we are expecting more records in the women´s section," said Sengupta.
Devi Kumari Chaudhary
Similarly, athlete Sabita Chaudhary set a new national record in the heat of women´s 100 m hurdles. She clocked 17:50 seconds on Monday at the Dhangadhi Stadium to qualify for the final.
Maya Thapa had set the previous national record of 17:95 seconds in 1997.
"We have a similar kind of track at the APF headquarters in Kathmandu and I didn´t face any problem running here. I´ll try to better my timing in the final sprint on Tuesday," said Sabita.
New national records
Devi Kumari Chaudhary (Weightlifting) - 76 kg (Clean and jerk)
Sabita Chaudhary (Athletics) - 17:50 seconds (Women´s 100 m hurdles)
Shailesh Rana (Swimming) - 2:31:87 minutes (Men´s 200 m individual medley)
Likewise, Shailesh Rana of Central Region set a new national record in the heat round of men´s 200 m individual medley in swimming and took his gold medals tally to five during the Sixth National Games held in Birgunj, reports our correspondent Upendra Lamichhane.
Rana, who added two more gold medals on Monday to his overnight tally of three golds, completed the distance in 2:31:87 minutes to better his own record. He had earlier set a record of 2:31:94 minutes during the Fifth Pramod Memorial Age Group and Open Swimming Championship in 2009.
Rana later claimed gold in the final round of men´s 200 m medley clocking 2:42:63 minutes.
Rana also bagged gold in men´s 100 m breaststroke completing the distance in 1:17:38 minute.
After setting the new record, Rana said the achievement has motivated him to do better in the future. "I am happy to better my own national record and will try to do better in future," Rana said.
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