Vikas Thakur extends India’s medal streak in weightlifting, wins silver in men’s 96kg final at Commonwealth Games 2022

Vikas Thakur of India clinched silver in the men’s 96kg weightlifting final, taking the country’s medal count to 12 at the Commonwealth Games 2022.

Vikas, the second India weightlifter in action today, made up for a below par show by Punam Yadav and lifted 346 kg (155 in snatch and 191kg in Clean and Jerk) to ensure a podium finish. Vikas joined the Indian women’s Lawn Bowls team and the men’s table tennis team to win a third medal for the nation on Day 5 of the CWG 2022.

Five out of Vikas’ six lifts were successful and rather smooth. In snatch, Vikas managed to pull of 149, 153, 155 in his three attempts and was placed fourth after the first series. In Clean & Jerk, Vikas was tested by the men above him, but because Cyprus’s Antonis Martasidis messed up all three of his attempts, Vikas was assured of his maiden CWG medal.

Vikas made his first lift of 187 look easy, and was extremely pumped when he nailed four kg extra in his second to lift 191kg. At that point, Vikas was back into medal contention. He looked set to win a bronze, but since England’s Cyrille Tchatchet became the second athlete in the event to manage even a single successful lift, it pushed Vikas a rank higher to confirm a silver.

Vikas attempted a herculean 198kg in his last attempt but it was a bridge too far for him to cross. Samoan Don Opeloge, the favourite for this event, loved up to his reputation and bagged gold with a monstrous 200kg in Clean & Jerk.

Vikas began weightlifting in the year 2002 at just nine years of age. He played his first National competition in 2006 and was inducted in the Indian National Camp in the year 2011 where he played his first International competition. Vikas’ father used to work as a farmer, who found it very difficult to support his son financially in his passion for weightlifting.

However, he always inspired Vikas to follow a career in sports. The Thakur families stars aligned when Vikas’ father Mr. B.L. Thakur got a job in Indian Railways. The family became more financially stable and Vikas left no stones unturned to achieve laurels for the country.