Ever ready to shoulder the burden of expectations

Tuesday, June 10 1997

Ever ready to shoulder the burden of expectations

K Ramesh Mathew

BANGALORE, June 9: He is respectfully called Sharmaji by one and all. He is 42-year-old Paramjit Sharma, a weightlifter who has won many international medals. And that was at a time when all those who started with him in the sport, have left the arena.

Paramjit, a subedar attached to the 234 Engineer Regiment of the Bengal Sapppers and based in Roorkee (UP), however, is very disappointed man.Sharma had won three gold medals in the 67.5 kg class in the 1990 Commonwealth Games at Auckland. Two years later in the Asian Championships he bagged a bronze in total section in the same weight category.

Commander K S Randhawa, the secretary of the Services Sports Control Board had this to say about Paramjit. ``While several lifters with credentials much lesser than Paramjit, have been conferred with the Arjuna and Padmashri Awards.

``This time also, no one was able to come close to his record breaking efforts in the 83 kg class. However, there is no one to put up his case,'' he said.

Paramjit, who hails from a hamlet in the border district of Gurudaspur, Punjab, was a sepoy for over eight years. He had no interest in weightlifting even though he could have the opportunities in the army barracks.

And his road to fame began with a small piece of advice coming from a young officer attached to the regiment in the late 70s. Since then his career has only looked up and the great man has now lost count of the number of medals he has won.

Paramjit, who has been posted in Rourkee, UP for over 25 years, is dedicated not only to his sport but also to his job as an army subedar.

``From what I have heard from my colleagues, Paramjit has not even taken a single day's casual leave in the last 11 years to visit his ageing mother and younger brothers,'' vouched Major Deepak Sharma, manager of the Services team. Paramjit wants to continue for some more years as he wants to brings some more glory for the country. ``Abhi muje aur bahut kuch jitna hai is deshke liye,'' he concluded with a broad smile.