Lovepreet Singh: From tailoring shop to Commonwealth Games weightlifting bronze, story of grit and desire

Birmingham, August 4: Lovepreet Singh kept India among medals in the Commonwealth Games 2022, bagging a bronze medal in the 109kg category weightlifting. But the journey to the medal was anything but rosy.

Coming from a small village in Amritsar, Punjab, Lovepreet had to tame myriad difficulties to climb the ladder in his sport.

But all those struggles in life attained a meaning when Lovepreet stood on the podium basking in the bronze hue at Birmingham.

Here MyKhel spoke to Lovepreet, a first-generation weightlifter in his family, after he lifted the bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games 2022.

Q: Since there no other weightlifter in your family, how did you took to the sport?

Ans: I started weightlifting when I was in class 9. Some people in the village used to do weightlifting. Seeing them, I chose this game. I am from Amritsar and I have parents, siblings in my house and no one in the family has been to in this game. My father is a tailor but he doesn’t want me to come in to his business. He always want to see me as a sportsman.

I Participated in my first Junior Nationals in 2013-14. Our financial condition was not good but my father assured me that I will get everything what I needed for my training and diet.

Today I am really thankful to my family that they have made lots sacrifices for me. After I joined the Indian Navy in 2015, our conditions got better.”

Q: How tough it was for you to train during the pandemic enforced lockdown?

Ans: I was on leave at that time and I was at home. I was practicing at home and somehow I did physical training. It was tough practicing alone but I managed to improve my strength and get mentally ready.

Q: At the CWG 2022, you were in medal contention right from the start, what was going through your mind?

Ans: At that time, I was just wanted to give my best. I was just thinking of lifting the weight I had chosen. I knew if I did my part well, the rewards will come automatically. Opposition players also come hard at you, so it was important for me to get my lifts correctly as even one wrong lift can spoil your chances at this level.

Q: What about that unusual celebration after winning the bronze, slapping the thighs a la Shikhar Dhawan?

Ans: That is for the late singer Siddhu Musewala. I like his songs very much. He had his unique style to tapped on the thigh. It’s a small tribute from my end to him. And after the victory, you might have noticed that his song was played in the hall.

Q: Weightlifting is a tough sport, and from where does you draw inspiration to compete so hard? Particularly interesting because there is no other sportsperson in your family…

Ans: It is tough to point to one particular athlete as all the senior players are my favourites because they pass on some tips or other which are useful to me. But I must mention our coach Vijay Sharma sir.

Vijay Sharma sir is a hard task master. He always encourages us and he wanted each one of the lifters to get a medal in the CWG 2022. We nearly achieved that and this is our most successful performance in a Commonwealth Games. It was achieved through Sharma sir’s motivation and our diligence.

Q: Continuing that question, what are the challenges a weightlifter faces in his sport as it involves both technique and strength in equal measure?

Ans: Everything is so difficult in weightlifting from lifting the weight to holding it up over your head. But clean and jerk part is the most difficult because you need to hold the weight aloft and do that jerking motion. I find it difficult from the beginning. I had to do a lot of strength training for my legs and breath controlling to get it right.

Q: There are a lot of messages for you after the medal, including from PM Narendra Modi. How do you view all those sudden adulation?

Ans: It is good to get all those appreciation. I want to thank the Prime Minister very much. I also want to thank Sports Ministry & Federation who gives us the facility & support. They send us (weightlifters) here a month ahead and because of that we trained hard and result in front of you.

(With inputs from Amit Shah)