Sanket Sargar wins India’s first medal in weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games

On Saturday, July 30, Maharashtra’s Sanket Sargar became the first Indian athlete to win a medal in the Commonwealth Games 2022. The 21-year-old won silver in the men’s 55kg weightlifting tournament in Birmingham.

In the men’s 55 kg category, Sanket Sargar finished second against Malaysia’s Aniq Mohamad, who won gold with a total of 249 kg (113 kg in the snatch and 135 kg in the clean and jerk) (107kg in snatch, 142kg in clean and jerk).

To beat the Commonwealth record in the clean and jerk, Aniq Mohamad needed to lift 142 kg, keeping the final exciting until the very end.

Sanket Sargar injured his elbow while attempting to lift 139 kg in his second clean and jerk attempt. Despite his injuries, he continued and made one more attempt. Sargar, on the other hand, could only lift 139 pounds and finished second. With a total weight of 225 kg, Dilanka Yodage of Sri Lanka won the bronze medal.

The national champion, Sanket Sargar, was one among the favourites to bring home a medal for India in weightlifting, which has traditionally been a key source of medals at the Commonwealth Games. Sargar was also the champion of the Khelo India Youth Games and the Khelo India University Games in 2020.

The Indian weightlifter lived up to expectations with some calm, collected lifts in the snatch and clean and jerk categories in the men’s 55kg final.

SARGAR wins the Snatch Round

Sanket Sagar was at his finest when he broke both the national and Commonwealth records by clearing all three of his weights on his first try in the snatch event at the Asian qualifiers in Singapore in February 2022. (snatch – 113kg; clean and jerk – 143kg; total of 256kg).

Sargar’s highly awaited opponent, Malaysian Aniq Mohamad, equaled Sargar’s initial lift of 107 kg with 107 kg on his first try.

Sargar, on the other hand, expanded his lead by lifting 111 kg on his second snatch attempt. Sri Lanka’s Dilanka Yogade began with 105 kg but fell behind as the Indo-Malaysian rivalry angered the Birmingham audience.

Aniq Mohamad attempted to lift 111 kg twice but failed both times. Sargar, on the other hand, expanded his advantage to 6 kg after grabbing 113 kg on his final attempt.

SKETCH SARGAR IS WHO?

In Sangli, Maharashtra, Sanket Sargar helps his father manage a pan shop and a food stand. Sanket Sargar, who began wrestling at the age of 13, has finished third in major international contests such as the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent in 2021.

Sargar, a favourite student of famous weightlifting teacher Vijay Sharma, arrived in Birmingham a month ahead of time since the Indian government had scheduled a training camp for the weightlifters there to assist them acclimate to their new surroundings.

Sargar, now a Commonwealth Games champion, is determined to prevent his father from working as hard as he does to support his family. The young guy, who has made a name for himself on the world scene, will be anxious to qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris and expand on his recent recognition as one of the nation’s best weightlifters.