From serving tea to lifting India’s first medal: The Sanket Sargar saga

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Not long ago, Sanket Sargar was helping his father Mahadev Ananda Sargar regularly in their tea, snacks and paan shop in Shinde Mala locality of Sangli, Maharashtra. Customers visiting the shop would have never imagined that the boy serving them tea and paan will one day win India its first medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

What made the achievement even more remarkable was how the 21-year-old braved an elbow injury to lift the silver in the 55 kg category at the NEC Hall 1 in Birmingham on Saturday. “I’m in a lot of pain, please let me go fast,” Sanket requested Indian journalists after the medal ceremony.

“I will go for an X-ray after the dope samples are collected and the actual status will be known.” The pain was both physical and mental. “I had come here for gold,” said Sanket, a tad disappointed at the Silver. It was disheartening, too. Until the end of the snatch section, Sanket was in pole position. He has lifted 113 kg in his third attempt opening a considerable lead of six kg against his closest rival, Aniq bin Kasdan of Malaysia, whose best attempt was 107 kg. Gold was for him to take.

Call it a quirk of fate or sheer bad luck, while trying to overhaul Kasdan’s 138 kg, Sanket in his second attempt of 139 kg hurt his elbow. “I heard a sound and suddenly there was seething pain,” he said after the medal. “But I had to take the risk.”

Kasdan, meanwhile, overtook Sanket with a 142 kg lift. With unbearable pain, it was almost impossible for Sanket to lift his hand, let alone 139 kg. In the end, he finished with a Silver and a broken hand. In 61 kg, Gururaja P, who had been training away from family for over a year, won a Bronze. This is his second CWG medal. He had won a Silver in 2018.

<br /> CHENNAI: Not long ago, Sanket Sargar was helping his father Mahadev Ananda Sargar regularly in their tea, snacks and paan shop in Shinde Mala locality of Sangli, Maharashtra. Customers visiting the shop would have never imagined that the boy serving them tea and paan will one day win India its first medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.</p> <p>What made the achievement even more remarkable was how the 21-year-old braved an elbow injury to lift the silver in the 55 kg category at the NEC Hall 1 in Birmingham on Saturday. “I’m in a lot of pain, please let me go fast,” Sanket requested Indian journalists after the medal ceremony.</p> <p>“I will go for an X-ray after the dope samples are collected and the actual status will be known.” The pain was both physical and mental. “I had come here for gold,” said Sanket, a tad disappointed at the Silver. It was disheartening, too. Until the end of the snatch section, Sanket was in pole position. He has lifted 113 kg in his third attempt opening a considerable lead of six kg against his closest rival, Aniq bin Kasdan of Malaysia, whose best attempt was 107 kg. Gold was for him to take.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.81 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad200503 " id="quads-ad200503" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.81 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="1823845571"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Call it a quirk of fate or sheer bad luck, while trying to overhaul Kasdan’s 138 kg, Sanket in his second attempt of 139 kg hurt his elbow. “I heard a sound and suddenly there was seething pain,” he said after the medal. “But I had to take the risk.”</p> <p>Kasdan, meanwhile, overtook Sanket with a 142 kg lift. With unbearable pain, it was almost impossible for Sanket to lift his hand, let alone 139 kg. In the end, he finished with a Silver and a broken hand. In 61 kg, Gururaja P, who had been training away from family for over a year, won a Bronze. This is his second CWG medal. He had won a Silver in 2018.<br />