India's Sudhir claimed the gold medal in the men's heavyweight para powerlifting event at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Thursday. An Asian Para Games bronze medallist, Sudhir lifted 208kg in his first attempt before increasing it to 212kg for his second effort to gather 134.5 points and break the Games record.
The 27-year-old Sudhir, who has an impairment due to the effects of polio, thus opened India's para sports medal account in the ongoing CWG. Ikechukwu Christian Obichukwu won the silver with 133.6 points, while Micky Yule bagged the bronze with 130.9 points.
Sudhir had won a bronze in men's up to 88kg with the best lift of 214kg at the World Para Powerlifting Asia-Oceania Open Championship in South Korea in June.
Sudhir, who started powerlifting in 2013 in Sonipat, has also qualified for Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games, which was postponed to next year. His gold-winning lifts in this event took India’s medal tally to twenty — six gold medals, seven silvers, and seven bronze.
By the end of day 7, this was the second consecutive moment of history for India after Indian long jumper Murali Sreeshankar became the first Indian male athlete to win a medal in the long jump event at the Commonwealth Games. This was soon followed by para powerlifter Sudhir adding India’s sixth gold in the ongoing international multisport event, winning gold in the men’s heavyweight final.
