Iran's Sohrab Moradi breaks weightlifting's oldest world record
JAKARTA: Sohrab Moradi of Iran broke weightlifting's longest standing world record on his way to gold in the men's 94kg class at the Asian Games on Saturday.
Moradi hoisted 189kg in the competition's opening discipline to better the snatch record set at 188kg in 1999 by Greece's Akakios Kakiasvilis.
Moradi now has a complete set of 94kg world records that will remain on the books forever.
After the Asian Games all the sport's weight classes will change ahead of the Olympic qualifying cycle beginning at November's World Championships.
Moradi already owned the marks for the clean and jerk (233kg) and total weight (417kg) in the men's light heavyweight division.
"I really wanted to break the world record as it was the only one I didn't have and this was my last chance," Moradi told AFP. "I feel very happy to know that my name will always remain on all the 94kg world records."
The Iranian said he would now step up to the new 96kg class.
"My next goal is the World Championships (in November) and after that to put on a good show at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics."
He just failed with an attempt at 234kg which would have bettered his own world records for the clean and jerk and total lifts.
But he did have the consolation of a new Asian Games record total of 410kg -- smashing the long-standing mark of 400kg set by Bakytbek Ahtemov of Kazakhstan in Busan 2002 -- after a clean and jerk of 221kg.
Mop-topped Qatari Fares Elbakh came second on 381kg and proved a fans' favourite as he was surrounded by a huge crowd of giggling teenage girls and posed for pictures with them after the medals ceremony.
"This is great. I love all my fans," he beamed. "I'm having a great time."
It was Qatar's first weightlifting medal of the Games and came after Iran's other great lifter in the competition, 85kg world record-holder Kianoush Rostami, failed three times to clean and jerk 220kg.
Kianoush was stepping up to 94kg from 85kg for these Games and despite lying second after the snatch he went home without a medal, leaving Elbakh grateful.
"I expected I could win a medal but didn't think it would be silver," he said, after the expected Iranian one-two failed to materialise.
Moradi said he felt sorry for his compatriot. "We trained together and Kianoush was with me on the podium at 85kg many times. I hope we can both be together again in the medals at 96kg."
Sumpradit Sarat won Thailand's fifth weightlifting bronze of these Games. They also won a silver in the women's 58kg through Srisurat Sukanya.
Courtesy : newindianexpress.com
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Modi govt's 'calibrated erosion' of EC's integrity: Kharge on election rule
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday hit out at the government for tweaking an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents, alleging it is part of the Modi government's "systematic conspiracy" to destroy the institutional integrity of the Election Commission.
Kharge also said the Modi government's "calibrated erosion" of the ECI's integrity is a frontal attack on the Constitution and democracy.
The government has tweaked an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents such as CCTV camera and webcasting footage as well as video recordings of candidates to prevent their misuse.
Based on the recommendation of the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Union law ministry on Friday amended Rule 93(2)(a) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, to restrict the type of "papers" or documents open to public inspection.
Reacting to the development, Kharge said, "Modi government's audacious amendment in the Conduct of Election Rules is another assault in its systematic conspiracy to destroy the institutional integrity of the Election Commission of India." "Earlier, they had removed the Chief Justice of India from the Selection panel which appoints Election Commissioners, and now they have resorted to stonewall electoral information, even after a High Court order," he said in a post on X.
Everytime the Congress party wrote to the ECI, regarding specific poll irregularities such as voter deletions and lack of transparency in EVMs, the ECI has responded in a condescending tone and chosen not to even acknowledge certain serious complaints, Kharge said.
"This again proves that the ECI, even though it is a quasi-judicial body, is not behaving independently," he said.
"The Modi government's calibrated erosion of ECI's integrity is a frontal attack on the Constitution and Democracy and we will take every step to safeguard them," Kharge said.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh had said the party would legally challenge the amendment.
Lok Sabha MP and Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said the poll panel had chosen opacity and a pro-government attitude in its dealings thus far.
According to Rule 93, all "papers" related to elections shall be open to public inspection.
The amendment inserts "as specified in these rules" after "papers".
Law ministry and ECI officials separately explained that a court case was the "trigger" behind the amendment.
While documents such as nomination forms, appointment of election agents, results and election account statements are mentioned in the Conduct of Election Rules, electronic documents such as CCTV camera footage, webcasting footage and video recording of candidates during the Model Code of Conduct period are not covered.
"CCTV coverage, webcasting of polling stations are not carried out under Conduct of Election Rules but are the result of steps taken by the ECI to ensure a level playing field," a former ECI official explained.
