Sanket Sargar’s teenage years were spent trying to strike a balance between serving tea at his father’s ‘paan’ shop and finding time to train and study.
Sargar’s The quintessential Indian sports story of struggle and success.
The 21-year-old lifter used to wake up at 5:30 every morning, serving tea to customers at his father’s ‘tapri’ in Sangli, a small town in Maharashtra.
He would then go for training, study during the day, return to the shop for a second shift, where he would prepare ‘paan’ for the customers. To increase fitness and increase strength, he used to go to the gym in the evening.
Sargar’s childhood coach Mayur Singhsane told PTI, “Sanket sacrificed his entire childhood. From getting up at 5.30 am to making tea for customers to going to the gym in the evening, he dreamed of only one thing. saw.”
“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.”
On Saturday afternoon, the ‘Digvijay Vyayamshala’, from where Sargar started his journey, was stirring with budding lifters and their parents as they saw one of them win a silver medal at the CWG on the big screen.
It would have been a gold if an untimely elbow injury had not thwarted his plan. But silver was nonetheless special as it opened India’s account in the Games.
Sanket’s father, Mahadev, had originally dreamed of becoming a weightlifter, but financial struggles got in the way.
Mahadev however tried to live his dream through his son and gave his all.
“Before joining TOPS, Sanket was neither a sponsor nor financially well off. His father would take care of his game by borrowing and we would take full care of his diet and exercise.
“Sometimes his father could return the money, sometimes not, but we never let it hinder Sanket’s training,” Singhasane explained.
“My father Nana Singhasane coached him from 2013-2015 and I coached him from 2017 to 2021 with the goal of Commonwealth Games. I was sure that he would win a medal. We only have talented kids from poor households and he is one of them. Were exceptionally talented, too,” he said.
Sagar, a three-time national champion, was included in the national camp at NIS Patiala in February last year, since then he has been under the tutelage of India head coach Vijay Sharma.
Weightlifting runs in the Sargar family. While Mahadev’s dream did not come true, both his children have taken up the sport.
Sagar’s younger sister Kajal is following in her brother’s footsteps. She won the gold medal in the women’s 40kg category at the Khelo India Youth Games this year.
Prasanna Mahadev said, “I wanted to do weightlifting myself, but my dream remained unfulfilled due to financial problems.”
“Today all my struggles have paid off. All eyes are now on the Paris Olympics,” he said.
This story has been published without modification in text from a wire agency feed.
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