Commonwealth Games 2022 weightlifting: Sanket Mahadev Sargar opens India’s medals account with silver
Sanket Sargar won the silver medal in the men’s 55kg category with a total lift of 248kg. It was India’s first podium finish at Birmingham 2022.
Weightlifter Sanket Mahadev Sargar won the first medal for India at the Commonwealth Games 2022 after clinching a silver in the men’s 55kg category at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Solihull on Saturday.
Sanket Sargar, son of a farmer from Maharashtra’s Sangli, lifted a total of 248kgs (snatch – 113kg; clean and jerk – 135kg) to finish second in his division at Birmingham 2022.
Malaysia’s Mohamad Aniq bin Kasdan (249kg) won the gold in dramatic fashion while Sri Lanka’s Dilanka Isuru Kumara (225kg) settled for the bronze.
"The 75th anniversary of India’s independence is coming up on August 15. I want to dedicate my medal to the bravehearts who gave us an independent India and everyone back home." - Sanket Sargar.
The 21-year-old Sanket, who shattered the national and Commonwealth record with a 256kg lift at the Singapore Weightlifting International in February, began his campaign with a successful 107kg attempt in snatch before managing 111kg in his second.
Sanket Sargar logged 113kg with his third and final lift, equalling his personal best and the Indian national record in snatch.
Mohamad Aniq bin Kasdan (107kg) and Sri Lankan lifter Dilanka Isuru Kumara (105kg) registered the next two best lifts in snatch. The Lankan had his third attempt of 112kg scrapped by the jury panel.
Heading into the clean and jerk section of the competition leading the 11-man field, Sanket Sargar successfully lifted 135kg with his first attempt to essentially guarantee himself a podium finish.
Attempting 139kg for his second try, Sanket Sargar twisted his elbow awkwardly. Despite the injury, he took a gutsy third attempt at the same weight but dropped the bar while executing the jerk. The Indian was visibly in pain.
The Indian, however, was still in the gold medal position until the very final lift of the competition. Mohamad Aniq, who won the Commonwealth Championships in Tashkent last year, managed a 142 kg lift, a CWG record in clean and jerk, to deny Sanket Sargar a gold medal.
"I am a mixed bag right now, half happy and half sad as I did not get the desired result. I was gunning for a gold medal which is why my team and I came here early to train. I am a bit gutted because an injury came out of nowhere in the last few lifts. I heard two clicks in my arm which was painful and is disappointing to endure as I wanted that gold,” Sanket Sargar stated after the event.