New Delhi, October 04 2010: Nigerian schoolgirl Augustina Nwaokolo stunned India's Soniya Chanu to win the women's weightlifting 48kg title on Monday, shattering home hopes of taking the first gold of the Commonwealth Games.

The 17-year-old Nwaokolo set a new Commonwealth record of 175 kg after a snatch lift of 77 kg and clean and jerk attempt of 98 kg.

Chanu took silver with compatriot Sandhya Rani winning bronze as India's grip on the division ended after Kunjarani Devi had won 48 kg gold in Manchester in 2002 and Melbourne four years ago.

After gliding through the opening stage with three confident lifts in the snatch, high school student Nwaokolo then succeeded with 77 kg and 98 kg in the clean and jerk before failing with 175 kg.

But that still left Chanu, the Commonwealth champion, needing to lift 175 kg to make up an overall deficit of nine kilos.

However, the pressure of home hopes proved too much for the 30-year-old from Manipur who failed on both of her attempts and despite coming into the Games with a personal best of 175 kg, she had to settle for silver with a 167 kg total.

Rani had a personal best of 175 kg, but she finished on 175 kg after failing on a final attempt of 77 kg in the clean and jerk.

"There was no pressure on me and I was so happy for what I got," said Chanu.

"It wasn't our day.

We practised well, but today we couldn't do it".

The gold medal was Nigeria's seventh in a women's event in Commonwealth Games history, but the first in a sport other than athletics.

"I lifted more weight than this during practice, but today I couldn't," said Rani.

The result was a devastating blow to Indian hopes in a sport in which they have traditionally excelled at Commonwealth Games level.

At the 2006 Melbourne Games, Indian lifters won nine medals, including three golds while in Manchester, four years earlier, they had bagged 27 medals in total, 12 of them gold.

Australia's Erika Yamasaki, the bronze medallist in Melbourne four years ago, crashed out after failing three times attempting 88kg in the clean and jerk.

Significantly, the feats of Ng Sonia Chanu and Sandhyarani Devi have come barely a fortnight after MC Mary kom, won her fifth World Championship title on the trot this year in the 48 Kgs category.

Speaking to The Sangai Express, L Manglem, Secretary of the Manipur Olympic Association said, "Though we had banked on these weightlifters to win the gold we have had to settle for the silver and bronze.

Anyway this is no reason to feel deflated and they have opened the medals account for the country, which everybody should be proud of" .

Olympian Ksh Thoiba Singh,.

who represented India in the Hockey team said, "There should be a position by any athlete in any competition but we very happy that two of our State players have achieved the silver and bronze to open the medals account for the country.

President of Manipur Mountaineering and Trekking Association president Leishangthem Surjit said that Soniya and Sandhyarani's achievements have brought cheers and gladdened the hearts of every Manipuri in the land.

Commenting on the prospects of players from the State at the CWG, Manglem said "we expect to do well ion various disciplines such women weightlifting, cycling, archery, boxing and diving.

All the State players who represented the country at CWG will be given a rousing reception, when they return, he added.

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