Jeremy Lalrinnunga won India its second gold and a fifth overall medal of the Commonwealth Games 2022 emerging victorious in the men's 67kg weightlifting final. Jeremy lifted a total of 300kg (140 in snatch and 160 in Clean & Jerk) to create a Games record in men's weightlifting. Despite an injury scare in his second and third attempts of the Clean & Jerk series, Jeremy secured a top of the podium finish, way ahead of silver medallist Ioane Vaipava Nevo of Samoa Island and bronze medallist Edidiong Joseph Umoafia of Nigeria. All of India's five medals have come through weightlifting, and with a possibility of two more getting added later in the day.
As the athletes proceeded towards the podium for the Indian National Anthem to play out loud, a gesture from Vaipava floored Jeremy and the rest of the onlookers. At the end of the Anthem, Vaipova took off his Lei – a sort of a red-coloured garland which is worn by people of Soman culture – and placed it on Jeremy. The video has since taken the internet by storm.
Jeremy joined fellow weightlifter Mirabai Chanu as the second gold medallist from India at the ongoing CWG 2022. Jeremy's triumphant effort is being celebrated in the entire country by some of the nation’s bigshots. Newly-elected India President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday congratulated Jeremy for winning a gold medal and wished him more such moments of glory. "Your self-belief despite injury during the event enabled you to create history & inspire millions. Your podium finish has filled Indians with pride," she tweeted.
{{/usCountry}}Jeremy joined fellow weightlifter Mirabai Chanu as the second gold medallist from India at the ongoing CWG 2022. Jeremy's triumphant effort is being celebrated in the entire country by some of the nation’s bigshots. Newly-elected India President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday congratulated Jeremy for winning a gold medal and wished him more such moments of glory. "Your self-belief despite injury during the event enabled you to create history & inspire millions. Your podium finish has filled Indians with pride," she tweeted.
{{/usCountry}}PM Narendra Modi joined in celebrating the effort and wished Jeremy well for his next assignments. "Our Yuva Shakti is creating history! Congratulations to @raltejeremy, who has won a Gold in his very first CWG and has set a phenomenal CWG record as well," Modi said in a tweet. "At a young age he's brought immense pride and glory. Best wishes to him for his future endeavours."