Proud dad wants Sathish to win Olympic medal

Vellore: “We want him to win a

medal

in the Olympics,” said a proud Sivalingam, after his son Sathish Kumar’s exhilarating performance winning the second successive

gold

medal in the Commonwealth

Games

.

Twenty six-year-old Sathish Kumar, by lifting 317kg in total, stamped his authority over the 77kg weightlifting category in the

Commonwealth

Games 2018 underway in Gold Coast,

Australia

. His feat earned the country its third gold medal this CWG season.

“We were watching the performance from 5am. It was a proud moment when he excelled his competitors and brought the gold medal once again,” said Sivalingam, an ex-serviceman and a gold medalist himself in junior and sub-junior weightlifting at the national level. He represented the Indian Army in events.

Though Sathish participated in the Rio Olympics, he could not put up his best performance as he was carrying an injury, said Sivalingam. He ended up placing 11th in the event. “My son’s ultimate goal is to win a medal in the Olympics. I hope he will achieve it,” he said.

Family and friends said that Sathish Kumar has been living up to his name and brought laurels to his native place, Sathuvachari, which is known as a cradle of national and international level weightlifters.

“After winning the gold medal in Commonwealth Championship in 2014, he continued his hard work and training and it is paying off as he has once again occupied the top of the podium,” said Sivalingam, who was his son’s first

coach

. He worked in VIT as a security guard after retirement from the defence, Sathish Kumar’s mother Deivanai is a homemaker. His young brother Pradeep Kumar, also a

weightlifter

, participated in state-level meets.

Sathuvachari has worn a celebratory look as several friends, relatives, neighbours, young weightlifters and former champions gathered there and rejoiced Sathish Kumar’s achievement. “I knew he will win gold even before the game started and he did it,” said Arjuna awardee T Muthu, who trained Sathish Kumar for seven years from the age of 13 years at Atlas Gym in Sathuvachari.

Revenue divisional officer A Selvaraj along with district sports officer Ramesh, visited the weightlifter’s house and handed over a letter of appreciation to his parents.

Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced Rs 50 lakh cash reward to Sathish Kumar and also congratulated him and said, “You have done both the nation and the state of TN proud by winning a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games 2018.”

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan in his tweet said, “congrats to second time weightlifting gold winner Mr Sathishkumar Sivalingam of Vellore”. Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader and R K Nagar MLA T T V Dhinkaran also tweeted his wishes.