Brimingham, Aug 1: Weightlifter Achinta Sheuli (73kg) lived up to his top billing as he clinched India’s third gold in the Commonwealth Games here.
Favourite to win the event, debutant Achinta heaved 313kg (143kg+170kg) to grab the gold at NEC Hall here on Sunday.
Malaysia’s Erry Hidayat Muhammad, who gave Achinta a tough competition, ended as the second best lifter in the event. He had a best effort of 303kg (138kg+165kg).
Canada’s Shad Darsigny was third with a total lift of 298kg (135kg+163kg).
“I’m very happy about this, I’ve worked hard for this medal. A lot of sacrifices of my brother, mother, my coach and the Army have gone into this medal,” Achinta said after the win.
“This was the first major event in my life and I’m thankful for them to help me reach here. This medal will help me in every aspect of life. There should not be looking back from now on.”
Asked to whom he would dedicate his gold medal, Achinta said, “I wish to dedicate this medal to my late dad (who died of heart attack), my brother and my coach Vjay Sharma who slaps me if I do a mistake, keeps scolding me like I’m his own child.” Sheuli, a junior world championship silver medallist, executed three clean lifts – 137kg, 140kg and 143kg – in the snatch section.
His 143kg effort helped him smash the Games record and improve his personal best.
Heading into clean an jerk with a five kilogram advantage, the Kolkata lifter started with a 166kg lift, which he hoisted easily.
Achinta then faltered his 170kg attempt only to heave the weight in the third attempt and create a new Games record in total lift (313kg).
The Indian lifter had to wait patiently towards the end to find out what medal he’d take home as the Malaysian attempted a 176kg lift in his last two attempts only to fail.
“Our village is known for Zari work. So we three (him, mother and brother) also started doing embroidery work for contractors. Work would begin at 6.30 am and would continue till the evening,” an emotional Achinta recollected while talking after winning India’s third yellow metal at the Commonwealth Games.
His father Jagat was a trolley rickshaw puller and at one time the sole breadwinner of the family of four, living in a chawl.
A fatal heart-attack snatched him from Achinta in 2013, when he was just 11 years old.
“Everything, including the clock stopped for us,” he paused as he gathered his thoughts.
“We never expected this and we were not prepared for this. We were then forced to do zari (embroidery) work. My mother (Purnima) also did that,” he said.
From kite flying
to weightlifting
Achinta was like any other kid, happy-go-lucky, carefree, oblivious to worldly worries like any 10 year old.
He was happy to fly kites on ‘Makar Sakranti’ and chase and collect those which would fall by the roadside
“I loved kite flying and looked up to the poush paarbon (Makar Sakranti) every year to fly kites and chase them with my friends. But little did I know that I would land up in weightlifting,” Achinta laughed.
“I was chasing a kite which landed up at the doorstep of the vyamagar (desi version of gymansium) where my “dada” (elder brother Alok) was training. Dada’s coach (Astam Das) was very impressed with wrist-work while flying kites and asked him to bring me on the next day,” Achinta had a big grin plastered all over his face.
Achinta was lucky that his elder brother Alok, who realised that his younger sibling had more potential to shine and as is the saga of Indian homes, sacrificed his own passion to build the former’s career.
“Initially, I came to training with my brother. I was pretty young – maybe 10-11 years old – then to realise what’s going on. But lifting weights was just fun then,” he recollected.
Weightlifting took a back-seat for Alok.
Days of struggle
seemed to be over
Things started falling in place after he won a medal at the junior National level in 2015 and joined Army Sports Institute (ASI).
The same year he was included in the Indian National camp as he went on to win a silver each at the Commonwealth Youth Championship (2015) and Asian Youth Championship (2018).
In 2019, he won the Commonwealth Championship gold medal at junior level and in last year he won the same at the senior level.
Medal and celebration
Egged on by his coach Sharma who was seen calming his nerves, patting the lifter’s head in the tunnel, Achinta ensured that he had a “green light” for 170kg within the stipulated time for a total lift of 313kg, another CWG record for the total weight.
It was well past 1 o’clock at night and the most of Indians were fast asleep when the national flag went up amid the loud cheers and the reverberation of the National Anthem at the National Exhibition Centre here.
But lights were still on at the remote village of Deulpur.
“All my folks in the family and a few villagers stayed awake. I’m grateful to win this. I hope this is just the beginning,” the Commonwealth Games champion signed off. (PTI)
