Achinta Sheuli wins third gold medal for India, sixth in weightlifting at Commonwealth Games 2022

Achinta Sheuli added to India's remarkable show in weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games 2022 by winning a gold medal - the country's third - in the men's 73kg final. Achinta lifted a highest of 143kg in snatch - which is a Games record - and 170kg in Clean & Jerk series, combining for an impressive and record-breaking 313 kg to give India's sixth medal at the CWG 2022. Achinta was a strong contender for bossing the event, and he lived up to those expectations joining Jeremy Lalrinnunga and Mirabai Chanu as India's three gold medallists so far at the CWG 2022.

Achinta looked under no pressure whatsoever as he lifted 137kg in his first snatch attempt, 140 in the second and 143 in the third, which gave him a 5kg advantage above everyone else. Positioned easily at the top, Achinta then set himself for the part of the event which he is the master of, the Clean & Jerk series.

Achinta successfully lifted 166kg in his first attempt in Clean & Jerk which straightaway placed him in gold-medal position, although he missed pulling off 170kg in his second attempt, one that gave Malaysia's Erry Hidayat the opportunity to make a comeback. But with the latter fumbling while attempting a 176kg lift in his second and final attempt, and Achinta nailing the 170kg lift in his last, a third gold was assured for India with a rather dominating performance.

Having taken up weightlifting in 2011 after getting inspired by his brother, also a former weightlifter, Achinta had to wait for 10 years before breaking through. In 2021, Achinta won a silver medal at the World Junior Championships and followed it with a gold in the Commonwealth Championships a few months later at Tashkent.

It was during this event that Achinta had created a national record in Clean & Jerk when he lifted 173kg. His combined effort, including his lift in snatch was a stunning 316kg, also a national record. Earlier, Achinta had been a silver medallist at the Commonwealth Youth Championship in 2015 and won another silver at the 2018 Asian Youth Championship to go with a gold at the Commonwealth Senior and Junior Championship in 2019.

It was in 2015 that Achinta joined Army Sports Institute and continued to excel in weightlifting. The same year, Achinta came on board the Indian National Camp. In 2016 and 2017, Achinta trained at ASI, and ever since 2018, has been at the National camp. Having lost his father at a very young age, Achinta's mother Purnima Sheuli always supported him to follow his passion for weightlifting and represent the country on the international stage.

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