CWG done and dusted, Achinta Sheuli sets his sights on Paris Olympics glory

KOLKATA: Achinta Sheuli could just be your next-door neighbour. Soft-spoken and with an accent that betrays his rural upbringing, the 20-year-old champion weightlifter was ever so willing to greet well-wishers and pose for selfies during a visit to the TOI Kolkata office on Thursday. The series of felicitations following the Commonwealth gold has been exhausting but he isn’t complaining, although what he would rather do is return to his training hall, lift weights and bring more glory to the country.
“I haven’t really trained since I came back from Birmingham. I have been meeting a lot of people and attending programmes,” he said.
His day in native village Deulpur begins at 7am and ends at 11pm. That isn’t very different from his schedule in the training base in Patiala, where he is required to wake up at 6am and hit the bed by 11pm. But now, the hours in between are spent shuttling from one felicitation programme to the other. This, thankfully, will change from Saturday, when he returns to Patiala.
“No, I am not bored with these felicitations. I have been very busy, but it’s fine,” he is quick to add, again with that gentle smile. “It felt great returning home after almost three years and that too with the reward that had kept me away.”
The CWG medal is safely kept at home, a priceless addition to his collection.
The target from now will be the 2024 Paris Olympics. The road is tough, he is aware, but he is eager to work hard. “I have competed with the best weightlifters of my category (73kg) and I am confident I can do well,” he said. His current best of 320kg may not be enough, but Achinta is confident that he can lift much more with some training. Anything over 340kg will put him in contention for a medal. “I believe I can bridge this gap,” he said, exuding a quiet confidence.
The Mirabai Chanu fan has his eyes firmly set on the Paris podium and given his grit, it may not be something beyond his reach.