Who Was the First Indian to Win a Commonwealth Games Gold Medal in Weightlifting?

India has had an abundance of legendary players in weight lifting like Mirabai Chanu, Karnam Malleswari, and Kunjarani Devi. However, long before these legends stepped on the scene, one of the men made history by becoming the first international weightlifting champ of India. He is Ekambaram Karunakaran, who also becomes the first Indian to clinch a gold medal in weight lifting at the Commonwealth Games.

Karunakarankaran, with this achievement not only puts Indian weight lifting on the world map but also inspires generations of sports people to think beyond the frontiers. From a small village in Tamil Nadu to the winners’ podium at the Commonwealth Games, his saga is the saga of unbelievable effort, sacrifice, and patriotism.

Who is Ekambaram Karunakaran ?

Ekambaram Karunakaran (born June 6, 1954) was a former Indian Weightlifter and has made a mark in history by becoming the first Indian ever to win an international gold medal in weightlifting.

He had won this historical medal at the Commonwealth Games held in Edmonton, Canada in 1978, where he won gold medal in the 52 kg Flyweight Category.

Early Life of Ekambaram Karunakaran

Karunakaran comes from Egattur village in the Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu. His father Ekambaram and mother Karupaiammal played an important role in shaping his life.

He attended the Kadambathur Government High School before joining the Southern Railway as a Class IV worker.

Interestingly, his first love was Kabaddi. It was at 17 that his transition to weightlifting started in the quest for strength and a perfect body. What began, thus, as an exercise turned into a passion.

Despite problems relating to finances and resources, he managed to become one of the best weightlifters in India.

The Gold Medal in 1978 Commonwealth Games

The 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada served as a turning point in the sports history of India.

Competing in the men’s 52 kg category, Karunakaran made a sensational performance by lifting,

95 kg in Snatch
110 kg in Clean and Jerk.

The total lift being,

205 kg

Not only was his lift a gold medal-winning effort, but also created a new record.

It also made him:,

The first Indian weightlifter to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal
The first Indian to win a gold medal in weightlifting
Among the earliest sporting legends of India on the world stage.
Karunakaran stood on the podium with tears of joy after hearing the Indian anthem as he knew he had made history.

Success on the National and International Level

Karunakaran was a prominent figure in Indian weightlifting and became the champion among weightlifters in India in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Between 1978 and 1982, he was champion in the 52 kg national category which established him as India’s best lightweight weightlifter.

His accomplishments were not exclusive to the Commonwealth Games,

He achieved victory at the Inter Railway Weightlifting Championships for seven consecutive years from 1978.
He won another gold medal in the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Cardiff, Wales.
He set six world records during the championship.
He represented his country at competitions held in New Zealand, Australia, and various international tournaments.
He carried the Indian Tricolour at the Commonwealth Games held in Brisbane.

Olympic Endeavors

Karunakaran represented the country during the Summer Olympics in 1980 when he competed particularly in men’s flyweight events at Moscow.
Even though he did not end up with any medals, his qualification for the Olympiads demonstrated his place among the top weightlifters in the world.

Other Professional Achievements

Karunakaran experienced success further through the 1980s whereby some of the major accomplishments were:

Silver and Bronze medals at the 1981 Asian Weightlifting Championships held at Nagoya in Japan.
Silver medal at the Pakistan National Games held the same year.
Bronze medal in the 1984 World Railways Championship conducted in Bulgaria as the captain of the Indian Railway weightlifting team.

Rewards Other Than Medals

Winning the Commonwealth Games made a fantastic change in Karunakaran’s life.

At that time, Karunakaran was a Class IV staff in the Southern Railway. After Karunakaran’s remarkable win, Madhu Dandavate, who was the then Railway Minister, declared that Karunakaran would be promoted to the post of Ticket Collector which was later elevated to Senior Ticket Inspector.

While having a talk with the Railway Minister, Karunakaran made an unusual request—not for himself but for his village.

He did not request any money or personal benefits. He asked the minister to construct a railway station in his village Egattur, as the villagers had to walk almost four kilometres to get to the nearest railway station.

His request was accepted and the Egattur Railway station was built, which has become one of the finest gifts of his sporting career.

Career as a Coach

Karunakaran committed himself to nurture the stars of tomorrow following retirement from professional weightlifting.

A graduate of the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala, he has held multiple charges as coach and manager in various national and international events.

His coaching career has included the following positions held the,

Coach of Southern Railways and Indian Railways weightlifting teams.
Manager of the Indian Team at the SAF Games in Islamabad in 1989.
Coach of the Indian contingent at the Asian Games in Hiroshima in 1994.
Awarded the Best Coach of the year in 1995.
Coach at the Youth World Weightlifting Championship held in Thailand in 2009.
Coached Indian teams at various events including the Asian Junior Championships 2010, Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships held in Malaysia in 2010.