Happy Teacher’s Day: Coaches who contributed to India’s Commonwealth Games success 

Take a look at some of the coaches who played a crucial role in the lives of the Commonwealth Games medalists'

Coach Vijay Sharma (Credits- Instagram)
By Abhiruchi Rout | Sep 5, 2022 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

For a champion to be born, it takes years of training, discipline, hard work, and perseverance. Winners aren’t created in one night. However, along with all these qualities, the champion needs someone who helps in transforming them from a ‘raw material’ to a ‘finished product’. There arises the role of a coach or a mentor. The coach plays an instrumental role in making a champion and guiding them in the right direction. On the occasion of Teacher’s day, let’s take a look at a few of the coaches who played a defining role in the lives of the athletes that contributed to India’s success at one of the grandest sporting events, the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022.

Vijay Sharma (India’s Weightlifting Coach)

Coach Vijay Sharma came to the limelight after Mirabai Chanu‘s silver medal win at the Tokyo 2020. However, he got his due as a coach during the CWG when a majority of the weightlifting squad credited him for their success at the quadrennial event.

The present weightlifting coach of India had clinched a senior national medal in the 85kg class in  Weightlifting. After retiring from his job, he started training young children. He coached the Uttar Pradesh team which became the national champion for three straight years. As a result of which, he was asked to work as an assistant coach for the Indian national team. Sharma discovered that the training program was the same as it used to be when he practiced weightlifting in the 1990s.  He then started to focus on the basics, particularly the diet of the weightlifters. His efforts are evident as India has been producing great results on the international level.

Jitender Yadav (Women’s wrestling team coach)

A former coach at the Indian Air Force Jitender Yadav took over the responsibility of the Women’s wrestling team from Kuldeep Malik. The 48-year-old who was the coach of three Pro Wrestling teams helped top wrestlers like Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik in dealing with their mental health problems for them to once again replicate their dominance on the international platform. He hails discipline and training as two of the most significant factors in determining success.

Nikolai Snesarev (Former coach of steeplechaser Avinash Sable)

The Belarussian coach Nikolai Snesarev took his last breath at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala. But much before his demise, he made an invaluable impact on the lives of many Indian track athletes. One among them is steeplechaser Avinash Sable who won the historical silver medal for India in men’s steeplechase. It was Nikolai who made Avinash believe that even Indians have the potential to beat Kenyans on the world stage. Nikolai as a coach was a very disciplined and strict coach who trained only those athletes who were willing to follow his words. He was also the man behind Preeja Sreedharan and Kavita Raut’s gold and silver triumph in the 10,000m at the Asian Games Guangzhou in 2010.