Know Your Indian Olympian: 10 things to know about Satish Sivalingam

Satish Sivalingam will be representing India in weightlifting along with Saikhom Mirabai Chanu in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Satish will be competing in the 77kg category, and will try his best to secure a medal and make the country proud. Here are 10 facts about the burly weightlifter from Tamil Nadu:

1. Satish Sivalingam was born on 23 June 1992 in Vellore, Tamil Nadu.

2. Sathish did his schooling in Government Higher Secondary School, Sathuvachari. He joined BA History in Abdul Hakeem College in Melvishram, but discontinued his studies in his third year.

3. He is currently working in Southern Railways, Chennai as a clerk.

4. His father Sivalingam is a former national-level weightlifter, and has won two medals in national level competitions.

5. He was trained by his father before he turned 13, and worked out for five hours a day which gave him a foundation and helped him succeed in the sport in the future.

6. He then joined the Atlas Weightlifting Training Center next to his home to undergo rigorous training, and it helped him to get medals in junior and senior categories in State, National and Asian-level Games.

7. The weightlifter represented India at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow where he won the gold medal in the 77kg category.

8. He lifted a total of 328 kgs, with 149kg snatch, 179kg clean and jerk lift to clinch the gold and beat 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Ravi Katulu, who came second in the competition. His lift of 149kg in the snatch set a new games record.

9. He was rewarded with a prize money of Rs.50 Lakh by Tamil Nadu’s CM J Jayalalithaa for his feat which made both the state as well as the country proud at the Games in 2014.

10. He qualified for the Rio Olympics by beating his previous best and lifting a total of 336 kg (151kg snatch and 185kg in clean and jerk) in the Olympics trials held in Patiala in June, 2016.