Nepal Police Club athlete Sangita Rai set a new national record in women’s 49kg weight division during the 3rd Nepal’s Strongest Sunil Lal Joshi Memorial Weightlifting Championships on Tuesday.

With gold medal already assured in the division in the absence of competitors, Rai went one better by setting up national records in all three categories: snatch, clean & jerk and total. She lifted a total of 135kg— 59kg in snatch and 76kg in clean & jerk. Rai herself held the previous national records in all three categories. Her previous best was 58kg in snatch, 75kg in clean & jerk for a total lift of 133kg which she set during the eighth National Games.

Pabitra Thapa Magar of Bardia struck gold in the junior women’s 59kg division. Thapa Magar lifted 40kg in snatch, 50kg in clean & jerk for a total lift of 90kg. Pallavi Kumari Chaudhary ended up in silver with a total lift of 88kg: 40kg in snatch, and 48kg in clean & jerk. Puja Mandal of Saptari won the bronze with a total lift of 79kg.

Nepali Army lifter Rita Gurung set two national records on her way to clinch the senior women’s 45kg division title. Gurung lifted 104 in total: 42kg in snatch and 62kg in clean & jerk. Her clean & jerk and total lift was a new national record. Karina Chaudhary of Jhapa was restricted to silver medal with a total lift of 103kg but set national record in snatch (47kg). Hiramoti Tharu of Bardiya won bronze medal with a total lift of 75kg.

Kajal Sada of Saptari claimed the junior women’s 45kg division title with a total lift of 64kg: 27kg in snatch and 37kg in clean & jerk. Sanjana Chaudhary of Dang claimed silver after lifting 62kg in total.

Devi Kumari Chaudhary struck gold in senior women’s 55kg weight division with a total lift of 142kg. Chaudhary lifted 60kg in snatch and 82kg in clean & jerk. Gauri Chaudhary of Nepali Army finished in second with a total lift of 108kg-50kg in snatch and 58kg in clean & jerk. Lila Rai of Nepal Armed Police Force Club secured bronze with a total lift of 70kg.

Sanju Chaudhary set a new snatch national record in women’s 59kg weight division. Chaudhary lifted 71kg to break the previous mark of 70kg set by Nepali Army lifter Kamala Shrestha. Shrestha had set the record during the eighth National Games.