Chhattisgarh wins 2 gold medals in weightlifting at National Games

Dehradun: Chhattisgarh weightlifter Vijay Kumar clinched gold medal in the men’s 55kg category with a national record-equalling clean and jerk effort to have a share of the spotlight in the 38th National Games here on Thursday.

Another Chhattisgarh weightlifter Gyaneshwari Yadav won gold in the women’s 49kg with a total lift of 191kg (85kg+106kg), while Maharashtra’s Sarika Shingare (179kg total lift) and Komal Kohar (179kg) of Haryana bagged the silver and bronze respectively.

After a 105kg snatch, Kumar lifted 143kg in the clean and jerk section for a total of 248kg which handed him the gold. He now shares the clean and jerk national record with Maharashtra’s Sanket Sargar who made the mark in 2022.

Maharashtra took both the silver and bronze through Mukund Aher (total lift of 247kg) and Srinivas Goud (244kg).

For Kumar, the triumph was the culmination of an unwavering journey filled with adversity and setbacks.

Born into a family that couldn’t afford sports supplements or specialized training, Kumar’s early years were a battle against both financial hardship and self-doubt. For years, his diet was as simple as “daal-chawal”, but his ambition was far from modest.

“My parents didn’t see a future in weightlifting,” said Kumar after his event, reflecting on his early struggles.

“They wanted me to quit, but I couldn’t. This was my passion, my only choice. Today’s gold is proof I was right to keep going.”