Sri Lanka, Dec. 5 -- Nadeeka Hemanthi etched her name in history as the first Sri Lankan woman to win an international gold medal in powerlifting. Competing in the Masters 1 (69kg) weight category at the Asian Classic Powerlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Monday, she achieved an extraordinary milestone by lifting a total of 310kg to claim the overall gold medal.

Hemanthi's victory was hard-fought, outperforming younger competitors from Chinese Taipei, who took home silver (287.5kg) and bronze (270kg). Her outstanding performance included a Sri Lankan record 150kg in the deadlift, which earned her a gold medal in that event. She also claimed gold in the squat with a 107.5kg lift and secured bronze in the bench press with ...