Vikas Thakur made India proud by bagging silver in weightlifting at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. He lifted a total of 346 kg (155 kg+191 kg) to finish second on the podium in the men's 96 kg category. Notably, for Thakur, this was his third medal in three successive Commonwealth Games.
Commonwealth Games: India schedule, Results, Medals tally
In an exclusive interview with Firstpost.com, Thakur opened up on his journey so far including how and why he decided to be a professional weightlifter, how he overcame multiple injuries to bag silver in CWG 2022, his ultimate aim and much more. Excerpts:
You have faced some serious injuries in last four years, including your shoulder injury. How tough it was for you to recover, focus on CWG preparations and then go on to win the medal? What has been your motivation throughout this period?
Injuries are part of a game. But, I considered myself as lucky as I was able to recover from the injury and win a medal for India.
Weightlifter Vikas Thakur totals #India’s medal count to 12 by winning a silver medal in the men’s 96kg category! More success to follow our brilliant athletes @ #CommonwealthGames2022 @birminghamcg22 pic.twitter.com/FI6aCVu5fd
— Dr Sudhakar K (@mla_sudhakar) August 2, 2022
Vikas you have shown consistency in CWG. In 2014 you won silver, bronze in 2018, and in 2022 again silver. Are you disappointed that you haven’t won the gold yet?
No, I am not disappointed for not winning gold yet. Everyone wants to win and my opponent in the final (Don Opeloge) is a world champion. An athlete is always satisfied with the podium finish as he/she is returning to his country with a medal, which is itself a proud moment. But, I always try to give my best rather than aiming for a medal. I always compete with myself.
Just before you squatted for your second clean-and-jerk lift, you kissed a sacred thread on your forehead? What’s the story behind it?
As you know that India is a religious country and I belong to a Hindu family. So, that sacred thread was given to me by my family to protect me from an evil eye. However, I believe in god and not in such sacraments. But, I follow whatever my family tells me to do.
Weightlifting is not an easy task to say the least. A weightlifter lifts twice his/her bodyweight. What impact does that have on a body? Do you feel dizzy, is it hard to breathe for that moment? How do you do that?
Every game is hard, even chess. Talking about weightlifting, there are many technicalities involved, for example – during the clean, veins around the neck gets pressed which leads to blackout or dizziness. However, practice makes a man perfect. Human body is designed in such way that it can be moulded in whatever way a person wants to. It’s all about the practice. I have been practicing since last 20 years.
At what age you decided to be a professional weightlifter and why?
Actually, my father works in Indian railways because of which we used to live in government quarters. However, there was a slum area at the backside of my house and I used to hang out with children there. So, to keep me busy and away from bad company, my family pushed me into athletics. But, I told them that it’s not my cup of tea. Then, they told me to take up boxing, in which I was really interested. However, due to the lack of facilities, I had to leave boxing.
So at the age of 9, I started training under my father’s colleague, Parvesh Chandra Sharma, who won the CWG medal in weightlifting in 1990. However, for the first four or five years, I didn’t even realise what’s weightlifting and at that time I just used to pass time during the training. But, as I started winning various competitions, I realised that I can make a career out of weightlifting.
What’s your ultimate aim as a weightlifter?
I want to set the weightlifting bar high in India as I also hold the national record. Also, I don’t want to want to retire during my downfall, instead I would like to hang my shoes when I’m at the peak point of my career.
How has SportsApp helped you in your journey so far?
I have been associated with SportsApp for quite some time now. They bring sponsorship deals for me which helps me financially. They are doing a terrific work, not just for me but for many other athletes as well.
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