Gold-winning daughter Kajol is the topic of pride at father’s pakoda-selling stall; Dhanush, born to a carpenter, looks to fulfill father’s unfulfilled dream

There was an added sizzle to the batch of mangode (a type of moong pakoda), that Mahadev Sargar serves up at his tea-stall at Sanjay Nagar in Sangli on Sunday morning, though the large frying pan only earned his dracted attention. His daughter Kajol Sargar claimed the first gold at the Khelo India Youth Games at Panchkula, and the street-food cook’s customers were the lucky ones from the Maharashtra city to hear first-hand accounts of the young daughter’s exploits in 40kg from her proud father, to go with their sweet tea.
Elsewhere on the outskirts of Chennai in Thiruvallur, V Lokanathan, a carpenter profession, but a weightlifting tragic at heart, felt the start of his dream come true, when son L Dhanush, won gold in the boys’ 49 kg event having inherited his passion. Dhanush narrowly missed the youth record mark one kg, but that only spurred father Lokanathan to aim higher for his son.
Mahadev Sargar serves Moong Pakoda up at his tea-stall at Sanjay Nagar in Sangli. (Express photo)
Through their podium finishes, the two teens were not only lifting barbells thrice their body weights, but also soaring spirits of their families, hoping to lift them out of financial meagre means of living.
“My father’s dream is to see me win an Olympic medal one day. He left the sport due to the financial condition of our family but would always save clippings of newspapers. When he took me to coach R Chandra sir, he told him to make me a weight-lifter. He told me that he will work extra hours to save money so that I don’t have to worry about diet. He wanted to accompany me here no matter what the expenses were and it’s his gold medal,” says Dhanush, who started weightlifting on the insence of his father, a former trainee of two-time Olympian R Chandra.Best of Express PremiumPremiumPremiumPremiumPremium
Mahadev Sargar meanwhile kept a close watch on his phone while serving his customers at the 10 feet 10-feet tea stall, even as Kajol, 17, medalled with a combined total of 113 kgs.
“Hum toh roz chai pakoda hi bechte hain aur yahi karenge, Hamari beti toh bada bada weight uthaati hai aur hamein khushi hoti hai (I only sell tea and pakodas at my tea stall and will continue to do so. My daughter lifts weights and it gives us joy). I told all the morning customers about my daughter’s feat and to get their applause for my daughter is my biggest tip,” an emotional Mahadev Sargar told The Indian Express while talking from Sangli.
With her father always lening to sports commentary on radio or his phone during his work at tea-stall, Kajol’s elder brother Sanket would enroll first at Digvijay Weightlifting Academy followed Kajol in 2019. The youngster would win the drict title in junior category in 2020 apart from winning medals at some local events. But with the brother-ser duo practicing weight-lifting, it meant that the family struggled with finances.
Dhanush, won gold in the boys’ 49 kg event having inherited his passion. (Express photo)
“My father always wanted us to practice a sport and when he got to know about the weightlifting academy, he got my elder brother enrolled. Later I also joined. At that time, my father would manage the 2 acre farmland at our village while I along with my mother managed the tea stall. Sometimes, I would go straight to training from the tea-stall but I knew if my father can support my dream, then I can also support him in his work,” says Kajol.
While Sanket became the national champion in 55Kg last year and will be in the Indian team for Birmingham CWG Games, Kajol will be cheering for her brother. Coach Mayur Sinhasane too believes that this gold medal will boost Kajol. “The main thing is to support the training and diet finances. With this medal and also a place in the national camp, she will only improve. Competing in more and more competitions will be the key and hopefully she can bag a berth in Indian team for Asian Youth Championships,” said the coach.
Chandra’s protege
Dhanush had won the gold medal in the youth nationals in Orissa last year and had a total lift of 184 Kgs. On Sunday, the Tamil Nadhu weight-lifter hauled a total of 190Kg with the best lift of 88kg in snatch and 102kg in clean and jerk missing the national youth record of 191kg one kg. Coach Chandra, who became the youngest Olympian weightlifter from India, when he represented India at 1988 Seoul Olympics, believes that Dhanush can break the national record soon.
“At the age of 16 years, I would lift a total of 160Kg at junior level. With Dhanush, I did not have to try too hard initially as his father had made him practice some of the basics at their home. Whenever I called Dhanush, his father would len eagerly and would make notes to tell him later. Lifting a total of 190 Kgs at this age is a good mark and he can certainly improve further from here,” says Chandra.