Young Dinuda Abeysekara of Royal College, Polonnaruwa has improved the Sri Lanka record in the 48kg weigh class on her way to winning the gold medal at the ongoing Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Malaysia yesterday.
Competing in the youth category, Abeysekara has won the gold medal lifting a total weight of 136kgs, the Sri Lanka Weightlifting Federation officials confirmed on Tuesday.
Abeysekara lifted 62kgs in snatch and 74kgs in clean and jerk to win her maiden Commonwealth Championship gold. Federation officials said that her medal was the first by a Sri Lankan female at a Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship.
Incidentally, it was the third time that she has improved the national mark within this year.
She broke the Sri Lanka record for the first time at the Schools Weightlifting Championship of the All Island Schools Games early this year. She was adjudged the Best Weightlifter of the Schools Championship for her performance after which she took part in several youth international competitions including the Youth Asian Games in China.
