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 in Dehradun on Thursday. (More Sports News)
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 couldn바카라t 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.
바카라My parents didn바카라t see a future in weightlifting,바카라 said Kumar after his event, reflecting on his early struggles.
바카라They wanted me to quit, but I couldn바카라t. This was my passion, my only choice. Today바카라s gold is proof I was right to keep going.바카라
Hamstring injuries had also threatened to derail his career more than once, and there were times when Kumar himself doubted whether he would ever lift at the highest level again.
바카라The pain was constant, and I couldn바카라t see a way forward,바카라 he admitted.
바카라I never thought I would win a gold medal. But here I am, standing at the top.바카라
He dedicated his success to the two people who had been his greatest supporters: his parents and his coach.
바카라This medal is for them. They believed in me when no one else did.바카라
