CWG silver medallist Vikas Thakur gets rousing reception in Ludhiana

Anil Datt/Lovleen Bains

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Ludhiana, August 6

Vikas Thakur, ace weightlifter, silver medal winner in the Commonwealth Games 2022 was accorded a hero’s welcome on reaching city this evening. Vikas gave a stupendous performance and completed a hat-trick of medals in Commonwealth Games.

Earlier, Vikas had won silver medal in Commonwealth Games at Glasgow in 2014 and secured bronze medal in the 2018 games at Coast Guard (Austrailia).

He arrived at his Eldeco Estate situated residence on GT Road near Jalandhar bypass in an open jeep where a large number of city residents and sports enthusiasts holding National flags were waiting for over two hours at the entry point of the estate to receive the star athlete.

As Vikas appeared on the scene, fireworks were burst to welcome the star weightlifter. He was garlanded profusely by the people in attendance there. MLAs Madan Lal Bagga and Jiwan Singh Sangowal besides former MLA Kuldip Singh Vaid and local politicians along with police and administration officials were present on this occasion.

Asha Thakur performed puja to welcome his son who offered the medal to his mother as he had promised to win a medal in the games and give it as a gift to her on formers’ birthday.

An emotionally charged Vikas thanked the people, gathered there for sparing valuable time from their hectic daily schedule and come to share the celebrations.

Meanwhile, on his way to home Vikas was accorded a warm welcome at Golden Hut near Sahnewal this evening. “I have travelled 28 to 29 countries till now but the feeling of belongingness to your land becomes all the more intense when you get the chance to represent your country. The victory thereof is no more individual rather it is of the nation and for the nation. I feel proud to have got the opportunity to give back to my country in some way,” Vikas shared.

“I am thankful to the Punjab government which has given a definite boost to the players by honouring them and announcing cash prizes for them. I have been serving in the Indian Air Force for the past 10 years. My earnest wish from the Punjab government is to give me an opportunity to serve in my state,” he said.