SAG weightlifting: India makes a clean sweep

The youthful exuberance of Vikas Thakur was in full flow as India made a clean sweep of all the four gold medals to be decided in the weightlifting competitions of the 12th South Asian Games at the Bhogeswari indoor stadium.

India's Vikas Thakur, winner of the 85 kg (men) weightlifting event, at the 12th South Asian Games

The youthful exuberance of Vikas Thakur was in full flow as India made a clean sweep of all the four gold medals to be decided in the weightlifting competitions of the 12th South Asian Games at the Bhogeswari indoor stadium here on Monday.

The 22-year-old hailing from Ludhiana, Punjab, came off with only two lifts – one each in snatch and clean and jerk – as he polished off the field in the men’s 85kg class to collar gold with a total of 300kg. The 2014 CWG silver medallist cleared 140kg in his opening attempt in snatch and then passed the chance to raise the bar further.

Again in clean and jerk, he repeated the same after ensuring gold for the event with a lift of 160kg. “There was nothing more to do as I was assured of the gold with those lifts. Currently, I am focussing on my preparations for the Asian championships which will come off in Uzbekistan in April. I really want to win my category over there and qualify for the Rio Olympics. So, the aim here was to win and preserve myself for the challenges ahead and also not to pick up any sort of injury,” he said.

The dice rolled well for India in the remaining three events as it progressed to take all the gold medals at stake. Pardeep Singh won the top spot in the 94kg category and Victor Abhilash Cristopher followed suit in the 105kg division, with totals of 331kg and 305kg respectively.

In the women’s section, Kavita Devi was hardly stretched in the 75kg class before winning the gold with a total of 210kg, dominating the rest of pack in both the segments.

The results:

Men: 85kg: 1. Vikas Thakur (Ind), 140+160=300, 2. Muhammad Tahir (Pak), 132+146=278, 3. Romesh Samarasekara (SL), 115+150=265. 94kg: 1. Pardeep Singh (Ind), 145+186=331, 2. Usman Amjad (Pak), 150+170-322, 3. Thusitha Srimal (SL), 125+168=293. 105kg: 1. Victor Abhilash Cristopher (Ind), 135+182=317, 2. Shanaka Madusanka Peters (SL), 130+170=300, 3. Azharamir (Pak), 130+150=280.

Women: 75kg: 1. Kavita Devi (Ind), 92+118=210, 2. Ashini Surangi Wickeramsinghe (SL), 70+90=160, 3. Firoga Parvin (Ban), 70+78=148.