‘I will hug my brother and put this medal around his neck’: CWG 2022 gold medal-winning weightlifter Achinta Sheuli | Commonwealth Games 2022 News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: ‘Ami bari giye maa r haather mangsho bhaat khete chai’ (I want to go home and eat mutton-rice cooked by my mother), weightlifter Achinta Sheuli told TimesofIndia.com in an interview while kissing the coveted gold medal (73kg) that he won at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Achinta, who featured in his debut CWG, lifted a combined weight of 313kg (143kg+170kg) to grab the gold on Sunday.
“I am really happy. All I want to do now is go home and eat mangsho bhaat (mutton curry and rice) cooked by my mother. I have already told my mother about. I’ve worked hard for this medal. A lot of sacrifices and hard work by my brother, mother, my coach, the federation, and the Indian Army has gone into this medal. All credit to these people who have taken me to where I am today,” Achinta further told TimesofIndia.com from Birmingham.

Achinta was just 13 when he lost his father. There were many financial hurdles, but Achinta’s older brother Aloke Sheuli, who was also a weightlifter, didn’t let anything come in the way of his younger brother’s dreams. He works as a loader in a private company and his mother does hand-stitching.
“I will hug my brother and put this medal around his neck. He is in a private job. I will take my family to the temple and will seek God’s blessings,” an emotional Achinta said.
“I have struggled a lot in my career. I am really glad that my hard work and dedication paid off in the end. My father died in 2013 and my family has suffered a lot since then. We lost our base. We were all shattered. We didn’t know what to do. I decided to focus on my game and got a lot of support from my brother. He wanted me to grow in life. I owe my career to my brother,” the 20 year old weightlifter from Duelpur, West Bengal further shared with TimesofIndia.com.

(Achinta’s brother Aloke looking at the medals his brother won coming up the ranks – TOI Photo)
Achinta won the Junior Nationals in 2013 and joined the Army Sports Institute in 2014. He holds the rank of Havildar currently.
“He (his brother) wanted me to achieve something in sports and get a government job. He knew if I was able to do this, the family would get a lot of support. The family’s condition would then be stable. The Army has also supported me a lot. They have provided me with every facility possible. They motivated me a lot. The moment I won the medal, I got a call from Commandant sir and CO sir. They congratulated me and said – ‘well done’. I am sure this medal will change my family’s fortunes,” he said.
A junior world championship silver medallist, Achinta dominated the ‘Snatch’ round with ease in Birmingham. He lifted 137kg, 140kg, and 143kg in the snatch section.
In the Clean and Jerk round, Achinta started with a successful 166kg lift. Though he failed to lift 170kg in the second attempt, a total lift of 313kg was enough to clinch a gold medal.
‘CWG MEDAL IMPORTANT FOR MY OLYMPIC PLANS’
Achinta feels the CWG gold medal will be a huge boost ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I have made a plan for the future. I will take it one competition at a time. I am targeting the qualifying tournaments first and then the Olympics. I will prepare myself for the Olympics. I will have to put in a lot of hard work to get an Olympic medal. I will take it one step at a time. This plan will help me achieve my goals,” Achinta further told TimesofIndia.com from Birmingham.
“I am thankful to my coach. He has guided me throughout. He observes me closely. Whenever I make any mistake, he corrects me immediately. This sport can’t accept any mistakes. My coach, Vijay sir, prepared me for this. This medal is very important for my Olympic plans,” Achinta signed off.