VELLORE: A rousing reception was given on Tuesday by the people of Sathuvachari here to Sathish Kumar Sivalingam, gold medalist in weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow.
When he arrived here from Chennai, locals here, led by the Vellore weight lifters association, gave him a grand reception.
A large number of youngsters congratulated Sathish and took him around the locality in a procession, amidst the blaring sound of bursting crackers.
While some people performed the aarthi ritual for him, others lifted the champion on their shoulders and took him around the streets. A similar reception was given to him at the Government Weightlifting centre at Sathuvachari, where he had been trained right from his younger days. Another reception was accorded to him by parents and relatives in a private marriage hall.
Sathish, accompanied by his parent and mentor Sivalingam, Arjuna awardee Muthu, coach Nagarajan and Vellore district sports officer Pugalendhi, met Collector R Nanthagopal later in his office. The Collector while congratulating the champion on his accomplishment, complemented him with a memento.
Speaking to reporters, Sathish said, he was very happy to have won the gold for the country at the Commonwealth Games. “I must thank the Indian government and the State government for their support and encouragement,” he said adding, this had motivated him to work towards more victories and milestones in his career. “I am sure I will work hard to bring more medals for the country,” he added.