CHENNAI: After a hat-trick of gold medals at the National Games, Narayana Ajith has now proved his mettle on the international stage once again in the men’s 71kg (A) category at the ongoing Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad.
Ajith, who had won gold in the 73kg category at the Commonwealth Championships in 2023, was left out of the Asian Games squad due to ranking criteria.
His medal on Wednesday now positions him as one of the frontrunners in the 71kg category ahead of next year’s Asian and Commonwealth Games.
In the recently published preliminary list, Ajith was named among India’s participants for the IWF World Championships in Norway, scheduled from October 1.
“After being left out of the Asian Games squad, I was very distraught. Thereafter, I started preparing hard for the upcoming tournaments. In between, I suffered a few injuries to my back and knees. I lost form before the National Games but regained it at the right time during the Commonwealth trials,” Ajith told DT Next before leaving for Ahmedabad earlier this month.
Having previously competed in the 73kg category, Ajith shifted to 71kg. Explaining the decision, he said reducing body weight had allowed him to double his performance.
Ajith picked up where the other competitors left off, and in his first attempt at 145kg he was successful. However, Nigeria’s Joseph Umoafia lifted 146kg in his second attempt and led the standings at the end of the snatch round.
The SDAT’s MIMS scheme lifter, who had made two national records at the 2024 National Championships, came back strong in the clean and jerk and managed 172kg in his first attempt. Nigeria’s Joseph lifted 170kg in his first but failed in his remaining two attempts while trying to lift 176kg. This difference ensured Ajith walked away with the gold medal with a combined total of 317kg.
Though it was not his best outing in terms of lifts in the clean and jerk, his family members and the people of Sathuvachari will be delighted with his success.
“Whenever I go to competitions, people back home watch my matches. Even if I lose one attempt, they get sad and anxious, and if I win and make records, I start receiving calls from my sister, who cries happy tears,” he added.