Sydney Olympic bronze medallist Karnam Malleswari made a superb comeback after a two-and-a-half year hiatus, winning the gold in the Commonwealth weightlifting championships, which were held in Nuku'alofa in the Kingdom of Tonga.

The 28-year-old, who was declared the best woman lifter in the meet, held from May 1 to 3, won the 69 kg class, lifting a total of 235 kgs. She lifted 102.5 kgs in snatch and 132.5 kgs in clean and jerk, which was 2.5 kg more than her effort at the Sydney Olympics.

"I am now preparing for the World championships and Athens Olympics," said Malleswari, at a felicitation function organised by the Indian Olympic Association in Delhi on Wednesday.

"The competition was not too tough and not too easy," she said, adding "it was good performance considering the fact that I was coming back from zero fitness."

"Also I reduced my bodyweight by 15-18 kgs," said Malleswari, the third lightest among the medal winners, at 68.55 kgs.

India also won the women's team championship with 193 points, beating Nauru (162) and Fiji (151).

Other Indian women to win gold medals were N Kunjarani Devi (48 kg), Sanamacha Chanu (53 kg), Sunaina (58 kg), Pratima Kumari (63 kg) and Sumati Devi (75 kg).

India also won three gold medals in the men's section.

Anbu Kathi Ravan won the 62 kg class, Sateesh Rai the 77 kg and Senthil Kumar the 85 kg.

The silver medal winners for India at the meet, where 16 countries took part, were promising junior Simple Kaur Bumrah (+75 kg) in the women's section and Vicky Batta (56 kg) and C P R Sudhir Kumar (69 kg) in the men's section.