BHUBANESWAR 17-Sep-2017
Odisha duo Samarendra Routray and Shakti Ranjan Barik captured multiple medals in the 7th Commonwealth Powerlifting and Benchpress Championship, which was held at Potchefstroom in South Africa from September 10 to 17, 2017.
Routray won gold medal in junior men’s below 66kg classic benchpress competition with a lift of 120kg and overall bronze in classic powerlifting contest with a total lift of 502.5kg. In the classic powerlifting contest, he also secured one silver medal each in benchpress and deadlift events with efforts of 122.5kg and 215kg respectively, and bronze in squat with a lift of 165kg.
Barik, an employee of Odisha Police, won gold medal in below 74kg men’s open quipped benchpress competition with a lift of 130kg and bronze in men’s open classic benchpress contest, lifting 130kg. He, however, was disqualified in men’s open classic powerlifting competition.
Both Routray and Barik were selected in the Indian squad by virtue of winning overall gold medal in respective weight categories of the Subrat Classic International Powerlifting Championship, held at Jamsedpur from December 26 to 30, 2016.
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PHOTO: Samarendra Routray with Commonwealth medals at Potchefstroom in South Africa.