New Delhi:
Discus thrower Krishna Poonia made history by becoming the first Indian woman gold medallist in Commonwealth Games athletics, top boxer Vijender Singh suffered a shock defeat and the first dope scandal broke out on another action-packed day on Monday.
Pooniya led a historic Indian clean sweep of the discus event by clearing 61.51m to also become only the second from the host country to win an athletics gold after track legend Milkha Singh's glory days in 1958 at Cardiff, Wales.
The Rajasthan athlete's splendid golden finish also enabled the country to equal its previous-best gold medal haul in Games history and retain the second spot in the medals table behind Australia. The country had won 30 gold at Manchester eight years ago.
She swept the discus event with Harwant Kaur (60.66m) and national record holder Seema Antil (58.46m) bagging the silver and bronze to lift the host country's tally in athletics to a record seven.
Poonia later dedicated the gold medal to the "all the Indians" who have waited for so long to win a Commonwealth Games gold.
"I dedicate this gold medal to all the Indians who have waited for so long. I am so happy that I have done the country proud by winning a gold in the Commonwealth Games after 52 years.
"It is amazing. It cannot be better than this. With this clean sweep of the medals I think we have wiped out everything bad that had happened before the Games and we have out united," she said after the historic moment.
However, the much-heralded boxing squad underperformed with Olympic medal winner Vijender Singh and three others biting the dust in the semis and settling for the bronze.
The shock defeat of hot title favourite Vijender against Anthony Ogoro of England led the Indians to lodge a protest after the referee penalised the Indian star towards the fag end of the bout when he led narrowly. It was, however, rejected.
The consolation was the entry of southpaw Suranjoy Singh (52kg), Manoj Kumar (64kg) and Paramjit Samota (+91kg) into the finals after winning their semi final bouts.
Suranjoy reached the gold medal round defeating Haroon Iqbal of Pakistan, Manoj Kumar made the title round edging out Valentino Knowles of Bahamas and Samota outpunched F A Junior of Tonga.
Amandeep Singh (49kg), Asian champion Jai Bhagwan (60kg) and Dilbag Singh (69kg) also lost their semi final bouts and had to be content with bronze medals.
Women rifle shooters Tejaswini Sawant and Meena Kumari also grabbed the bronze in the women's 50 metres rifle prone event after logging one point less than the gold and silver medalists.
World champion Tejaswini and her partner combined forces to aggregate 1168 points and stood one behind Scotland pair Jen McIntosh-Kay Copland as well as England duo Michelle Smith-Sharon Lee who stood first and second.
Tejaswini, India's first world champion in shooting on the distaff side, shot 583 while Meena accumulated 585 to help India gain their 25th medal from the Dr Karni Singh range. The shooters' gold tally stood at 13.
Pooniya's epoch-making athletics gold, Harwant's silver and the six bronze medals won today boosted India's tally to 30-23-28 which kept the host nation firmly entrenched in the no. 2 spot behind Australia (64-40-39).
In third spot were England, who did not add to their overnight gold haul of 26 but have scooped up 48 silver and 35 bronze medals. Canada (23-15-28) were in fourth position.
The other major story of the day was the positive dope test, the first of the Games, by Nigerian Oludamola who tested positive for stimulant methylhexaneamine and was placed under provisional suspension pending a test of her 'B' sample.
CGF President Michael Fennell announced in the morning that it was the first positive dope case to have come out here and that under anti-doping rules of the Games she had been handed a provisional suspension.
"Under anti-doping procedures she has been notified and she has requested for a 'B' sample testing. The 'B'sample testing will be done today and her hearing will also be held today," Fennell said.
The Federation later said in a statement that the results of the B sample would not be available till Wednesday and her provisional suspension would stand till then.
Asked whether the gold medal has been taken back from the Nigerian, the CGF chief said, "At the moment no decision has been taken about the medal. She has been put under provisional suspension."
The gold Oludamola won came in dramatic circumstances when Australian Sally Pearson was stripped of her medal in the women's 100m sprint for a false start.
The Nigerian had crossed the finish line in second place behind the Aussie woman and was later awarded the gold when Pearson was punished for jumping the gun.