Sanket Sargar: All you need to know about India’s first medallist at CWG 2022 and son of ‘paan’ shop owner

Sanket Mahadev Sargar became the first Indian to claim a medal at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Birmingham as he grabbed a silver in weightlifitng on the second day of the quadrennial event.

Sargar finished second in the men’s 55kg weightlifting final behind Malaysia’s Aniq Kasdan, who lifted a total of 249 kg in comparison to Sargar’s 248.

Commonwealth Games: India schedule, Results, Medals tally

The 21-year-old Indian lifter gave himself a bright start in the snatch category (one of the two composites of weightlifting) by lifting 113kg, which was six kg more than his 20-year-old Malaysian rival.

However, Kasdan made a stronger return in the clean and jerk segment by lifting a decisive 142kg, seven more than Sargar, to claim gold. Kasdan started the event as favourite as he was the No 1 in the Commonwealth ranking after lifting the exact same weight of 249kg at the Commomnwealth Championships in Tashkent last year.

Sargar did make an attempt to lift 143kg but injured himself in the process.

Who is Sanket Mahadev Sargar?

Sanket is a resident of Maharshtra’s Sangli, where his father Mahadev runs a ‘paan' shop and food stall while the lifter struggled to find a job. His childhood coach Mayur Sinhasane revealed that at a young age, Sanket used to wake early in the morning to help his father at his Paan store before going for training at the gym.

“Sanket has sacrificed his entire childhood. From waking up 5:30am to making tea for customers to going to the gym later in the evening, he dreamt of only one thing,” Sinhasane told PTI. “He had only one dream and that was to bring laurels to the country in weightlifting and give a good life to his family. Now his dream is coming true.”

Sinhasane further revealed that Sanket has been fulfilling his father's incomplete dream to be a weightlifter. The Sargar family, in fact, went through some tough times before Sanket was picked for the national team.

“Sanket neither had a sponsor nor was financially well off before getting into TOPS. His father would take care of his sport by borrowing and we would take full care of his diet and exercise.

“Sometimes his father could return money, sometimes not, but we never let it become a hindrance in Sanket’s training,” explained Sinhasane.

“My father Nana Sinhasane trained him from 2013-2015 and I trained him from 2017 to 2021 with a target of the CWG. I was sure he would win a medal. We only have talented children from poor homes and he was exceptionally talented among them too,” he added.

Sanket’s claim to fame was his national record lift of 139kg in the clean and jerk segment at the Khelo India University Games in 2020. In total he lifted 247kg (108kg in the snatch) to claim the gold medal at the competition.

He rewrote his national record in February last year as he lifted 256kg (113kg in snatch +143kg in clean and jerk) at the Singapore Weightlifting International.

After winning the CWG silver, Sanket's father said now he wants his son to win Olympic medal.

"I wanted to pursue weightlifting myself but due to financial problems my dream remained incomplete,” Mahadev told PTI. “Today all my struggles have paid off. All eyes are on the Paris Olympics now.”

Sanket's sister Kajal has also followed in the footsteps of her brother by winning a gold medal in the women’s 40kg category at the Khelo India Youth Games this year.

Sanket Sargar FACTFILE

Event: 55kg

Date of Birth: 16/10/2000

Hometown: Sangli, Maharashtra

Training Base: NS NIS Patiala

Coach: Vijay Sharma

Background: Sanket started weightlifting in 2013. Son of a Farmer, passion for weightlifting persists in his family with his sister also in weightlifting.

Achievement:

Silver: CWG 2022

Gold - Singapore International 2022 - Commonwealth + National Record

Gold - Senior NAtionals Championships 2022, KiIT Bhubaneswar

— Information via Sports Authority of India

Click here for our complete coverage of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

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