VIJAYAPURA: The joy was palpable in Tiganibidari, a small village in Babaleshwar taluk of Vijayapura district, when Sachin Salunke won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championship in Canada.
For a village proud of its agricultural roots, the achievement of a farmer’s son on an international sporting platform was a moment of immense pride.
“We were proud of Sachin when he won medals at state and national-level championships. But winning a silver medal in his first international competition made all of us beam with pride,” said Raju Galgali, a villager and friend of Sachin.
At 26, Sachin has every reason to celebrate. Yet, the silver medal hanging around his neck is not the end of his journey. It is a reminder of how close he came to gold and how much further he wants to go.
Sachin lifted a total of 760 kg across the squat, deadlift and bench press events in Canada. The gold medallist from England managed just 10 kg more. Sachin believes he could have clinched gold had illness and the bitterly cold weather not affected his performance.
“In India, I have lifted up to 350 kg in the squat, but in Canada, I could manage only 310 kg because I was unwell. I could not adjust to the weather and food either,” he said.
Instead of allowing disappointment to overwhelm him, Sachin has turned it into motivation. He now dreams of winning gold and setting a new record at the Commonwealth Games and other international championships. But fulfilling that ambition will require more than physical strength and determination.
Coming from a family dependent on farming, Sachin struggles to finance his training. His father and elder brother are farmers, and their limited income makes it difficult to meet his sporting expenses.
He spends around Rs.30,000 a month from his own pocket and estimates that he needs about Rs 5 lakh annually to prepare for major competitions.
“So far, donors and philanthropists have helped me pursue my sporting ambitions. But preparing for international championships requires substantial financial support. I can contribute my time and energy, but without money, it is difficult to achieve my goals,” he said.
Sachin’s sporting journey began during his school days, when he developed an interest in hammer throw. After completing his primary education in Babaleshwar, he studied at a school run by Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru, where a physical education teacher encouraged him to pursue the sport.
He won his first state-level gold medal at a tournament in Bidar. Later, he joined Alva’s College in Moodbidri for pre-university education on a sports-based free seat, receiving access to professional coaching. He subsequently continued hammer throw during his degree studies in Ujire.
His early national-level appearances in hammer throw brought valuable lessons, although medals remained elusive initially. He secured third place at competitions in Hyderabad and Kerala before continuing to participate in national meets.
However the absence of suitable coaching eventually prompted him to switch to powerlifting. Till then, he was doing powerlifting but only to gain strength and not to participate in any tournaments.
In 2021, Sachin began pursuing powerlifting seriously and trained at the sports hostel at Bengaluru’s Kanteerava Stadium. The following year, he won silver at a national championship in Delhi.
He later moved to Hubballi to obtain better coaching, taking responsibility for his accommodation and dietary expenses despite receiving free training from a coach associated with South Western Railway.
After missing out on a medal at a national championship in Kolkata, he bounced back with silver at the 2024 national championship in Delhi and gold at the national championship in Himachal Pradesh the following year.
His performances earned him qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships in Canada, his first international competition. Now, he is looking for support to take the next step.
