Martina Devi finishes fifth in Commonwealth Games ...

By Rohan Gupta — 30 July 2026 — 3 min read

Indian lifter Martina Devi Maibam concluded her debut at the Commonwealth Games with a fifth-place finish in the women’s +86kg weightlifting event. The competition, held on Thursday, saw the Manipuri lifter achieve a total lift of 245kg, comprising 105kg in the snatch and 140kg in the clean and jerk.

Martina Devi’s performance was marked by a significant comeback after facing potential elimination early in the event. She matched the overall total of New Zealand’s Tui-Alofa Patolo but placed fifth due to a higher number of failed attempts.

Dramatic Comeback in Snatch

Martina Devi’s campaign nearly ended prematurely during the snatch segment. She failed her initial two attempts at 103kg, leaving her with only one opportunity to remain in the competition. In a strategic decision, head coach Vijay Sharma opted to increase the weight to 105kg for her final attempt, rather than repeating the previous weight.

This bold move proved successful as Martina Devi executed a flawless lift at 105kg, dramatically keeping her medal aspirations alive. The emotional impact of this successful lift was evident as she left the platform in tears, having navigated a critical moment in her debut.

Following her successful snatch, Martina Devi carried this momentum into the clean and jerk. She comfortably cleared 140kg on her first attempt, a lift that surpassed her previous personal best of 136kg. This achievement briefly positioned her within medal contention.

However, as the competition progressed, Martina Devi needed to achieve higher lifts to secure a podium spot. She attempted 144kg on her second clean and jerk but was unsuccessful. Her final effort at 146kg also did not result in a complete lift, bringing an emotional end to her medal bid. She once again left the platform visibly emotional.

Other Commonwealth Games Highlights

In other events at the Commonwealth Games 2026, England’s Emily Campbell successfully defended her title in the women’s +86kg weightlifting. Campbell lifted a total of 278kg (115kg snatch + 163kg clean and jerk), setting new Commonwealth and Games records in the clean and jerk category.

Malaysia’s Siti Aqilah Farhana Draman secured the silver medal with a total of 253kg, while Canada’s Etta Mae Love earned the bronze with 250kg. The competition saw strong performances from athletes across various nations.

Meanwhile, in the men’s 110kg weightlifting event, India’s Lovepreet Singh clinched a silver medal. The Glasgow Games also featured other Indian athletes in action. In lawn bowls, Dinesh Kumar and Navneet Singh participated in the men’s pairs sectional play against Botswana. Nayanmoni Saikia competed in the women’s singles sectional play against Malaysia’s Emma Firyana Saroji.

In judo, Yamini Mourya, a 28-year-old judoka, aimed to build on her recent successes, which include gold medals at the Asian Open 2025 and African Open 2026. She is the first Indian judoka to win a medal at the FISU World University Games 2023.

On the track, India’s Vishal TK finished sixth in the first semi-final of the men’s 400m with a time of 46.33 seconds, making his qualification for the final unlikely. In the men’s decathlon, Tejaswin Shankar achieved a season-best shot put effort of 13.09m, earning him 673 points and placing him fifth overall after three events with 2,558 points. Canada’s Damian Warner held the overall lead with 2,765 points.

The men’s team sprint qualifying saw a disappointing outcome for India, with the trio of Ronaldo Singh Laitonjam, David Beckham Elkatohchoongo, and Rojit Singh Yanglem finishing seventh and last with a time of 46.396 seconds, ending their medal hopes. In the men’s triple jump qualifying round, India’s Praveen Chithravel made a strong start with a jump of 16.41m on his first attempt, nearing the automatic qualification mark of 16.60m.

Despite narrowly missing a medal, Martina Devi’s resilient performance, particularly her recovery from two early failures, highlighted her potential in the sport during her debut at the Commonwealth Games on Thursday.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com