CWG 2018: India Wins 10 Gold, 4 Silver & 5 Bronze Occupying Third Spot In Medal Tally On 5th Day

INDIAN eves have made their nation proud by stupendous performance in weightlifting, boxing, table tennis as well as hockey in the ongoing 21st Commonwealth Games on the fourth day. Sixteen -year-old Manu Bhaker delivered a record-shattering shooting gold medal and the table tennis team shocked fancied defending champions Singapore to bag the top honours for the first time in the event. India swept the table tennis team events of the Commonwealth Games as the men matched the women to claim a memorable gold with an emphatic 3-0 win over Nigeria in the final today. It is the first time since the racket sport’s induction into the Commonwealth Games’ program that India has topped both categories. After Manika Batra-led India to a historic triumph over Singapore yesterday, the men too beat the team from the city state 3-2 in the semi-finals, played earlier today. Manu Bhaker, from Haryana, who shot down the Games record and the gold medal in the 10m air pistol event.But Heena Sidhu, a medal winner, has finished a distant silver-medallist.”Shooting is an uncomplicated sport, take aim and shoot. That’s why it’s important not to think too much. If you think too much, then it becomes complex,” said Bhaker while reacting to her unprecedented victory.In the weightlifting , Punam Yadav (69kg) pulled off a personal best of 222kg (110kg+122kg) to improve the bronze she had won in the 2014 edition to add another gold to India’s haul.The women’s table tennis team comprising Manika Batra, Madhurika Patkar and Mouma Das surprised everybody  defending champions Singapore 3-1 for a historic maiden gold.”It was my first time playing against Feng, the moment I knew I won against the world No 4, I felt on top of the world. Even in my wildest dream I had not thought that I will beat an Olympic medallist and world number four,”Batra said after her shock win over Feng Tianwei.”I knew that she was having problems with my pimpled rubber and I realise that but I did not use it as my strength all the time. I kept changing my game. I did not want to kept her settle so I changed my rubber after the second game,” she added.Saina Nehwal remained in fine fettle and helped India to a 3-1 triumph over Singapore in the mixed team event. The top seeds will be up against Malaysia in the summit clash on Monday.Adding a dash of bronze to the weightlifting collection was Vikas Thakur (94kg), who lifted a total of 351kg (159kg+192kg) on a day when Papua New Guinea’s Steven Kari broke the Commonwealth as well as the Games record in clean and jerk for a total lift of 370kg (154kg+216kg). shooting ace Jitu Rai claimed the gold medal in men’s 10m air pistol event by creating a new games record while compatriot Om Prakash Mitharval bagged a bronze at the Commonwealth Games. World Championship silver medallist Rai shot 235.1 to comfortably finish top of the podium. Mitharval, who had established a new qualification record with 584, eventually finished with the bronze medal after aggregating 214.3 in the eight-man finals at the Belmont Shooting Centre. Australia’s Kerry Bell managed to secure the silver medal with 233.5. In the women’s 10m Air Rifle event, Mehuli Ghosh and Apurvi Chandela bagged silver and bronze respectively. Ghosh lost to eventual champions Martina Lindsay of Singapore in the shoot-off after both were tied at a CWG record score of 247.2 in the final. In the shoot-off, Ghosh scored 9.9 while Martina shot 10.3.In shooting, Ravi Kumar let slip a golden opportunity to settle for a bronze medal in the 10m air rifle event where Deepak Kumar finished sixth after breaking the Games record in qualification.The high-profile athletics competition also got underway at the Carrara sports complex and India had done well with race walker Khushbir Kaur finishing fourth in the women’s 20km event.In track and field events, shot-putter Tejinder Singh made the finals, while Mohammed Anas Yahiya topped his 400m heat to book a slot in the semi-finals.Indian gymnast Pranati Nayak , however, could not qualify for the women’s vault finals after finishing last in the event. Among eight gymnasts, Pranati finished at the bottom.(courtesy  ZEE News)