VELLORE: Even as the nation was going gaga over the gold won by Sathish Kumar Sivalingam in Gold Coast, it was life as usual in his hometown, Sathuvachari. Sathish Kumar clinched the third gold for India in weightlifting at the Games in the men’s 77 kg category. He lifted 317 kg in total — 144 kg in snatch and 173 kg in clean and jerk. This is his second Commonwealth gold after Glasgow 2014. His parents, who live in their ancestral home on Bhajan Koil Temple street, got up early to watch him compete. After he clinched the gold, the elated parents thanked god.
Sathish’s father Sivalingam (56), an ex-service man and a national medallist himself way back before he got married, told Express, “We were worried about his leg injury, which he sustained during the nationals in Mangalore a few months ago, but my son overcame the challenge and made it to the top. We are very proud of him,” added his overwhelmed father.The anxious parents said they had performed special poojas at temples in Vettuvanam and Pallikonda on Friday.
The couple is relieved that Sathish can now focus on 2020 summer Olympics in Tokyo. “Olympics is his dream and we hope he makes it count,” his mother Deivanai said, adding, “We have our own interest in the matter as we can persuade him to get married only after his Olympics dream is accomplished.” The couple rarely meet their son, who spends most of his time training in Patiala, Punjab. “Though we do not want to force him, but as parents, we do want him to settle down soon,” said Sivalingam, who works at the VIT University as a security guard. He also trains youth in the locality.
Meanwhile, the youth gathered at Sivalingam’s house to watch their idol on top of the world. Vignesh, a college student and an aspiring weightlifter, said, “Sathish anna is my hero and I will try my best to emulate him.” Sathish’s younger brother Pradeep, a college student and a budding weightlifter himself, however, wants to become a good coach