From Helping Father Pick Up Scrap To Clinching Weightlifting Gold: Sairaj Pardeshi Scripts History

An 18-year-old weightlifter from India, Sairaj Pardeshi, made the entire world stand up and take notice as he clinched a gold medal in the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship 2025 in Ahmedabad. Competing in the men's 88 kg category, he aggregated a total lift of 348kg - 157kg in snatch and 191 kg in clean & jerk - hence breaking several records. Pardeshi hails from Maharashtra and is the son of a scrap dealer in Manmad, a small town in the state.

Pardeshi's triumph at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships isn't his first international achievement. He also won a gold medal at the Asian Youth & Junior Championships in Doha, lifting a then-record 310 kg overall. In the youth category, he had also won a gold and a silver medal at the 2024 Commonwealth Youth, Junior, and Senior Weightlifting Championships in the youth and senior categories, respectively.

Despite the success he has achieved over the last few years, Sairaj has remained focused on the next milestone he wishes to hit. The teenager is keen to perform at the 2025 National Games, with nothing less than a podium finish being his ambition. While sports remain the platform he wishes to build his career on, Sairaj is also keen to balance it with academics. The young boy is looking forward to doing well in his 12th-grade board examinations, for which he has chosen Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.

"I haven't studied anything yet but I'm quite confident that I can clear the exams if I get 15 days for preparations," a confident Sairaj said.

Heartiest congratulations to 18-year-old Sairaj Pardeshi for clinching the gold medal in the Junior Men's 88 kg category at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2025 in Ahmedabad, with a total lift of 348 kg (157 kg snatch + 191 kg clean and jerk). A proud moment for… pic.twitter.com/yV5dLdmIYB

— Praful Patel (@praful_patel) August 30, 2025

Sairaj, the reigning Asian Youth and Junior Championships winner, totaled 348kg (157kg+191kg), bettering the existing Commonwealth junior snatch record of 155kg held by Fiji's Nehemiah Elder, while also surpassing his own junior clean and jerk (186kg) and total (338kg) marks.

Pardeshi's tally was good enough to win gold in the senior event as well, where Canada's Braydon Kennedy topped the field with 347kg (164kg+183kg).

In the same class, three-time Commonwealth champion Ajay Singh endured a forgettable outing, finishing sixth with a total effort of 315kg (140kg+175kg) which was 33kg shy of Pardeshi's effort.

With PTI Inputs