Australia’s Prem Bajaj has won a gold medal at this year’s Commonwealth Championships held at St. John's, Newfoundland in Canada.
The 54-year-old ‘passionate’ powerlifter who competed in Men's Masters Bench Press under 93 Kg was also adjudged ‘best weightlifter’ in his category.
Mr Bajaj told SBS Punjabi that the championship was attended by athletes from over 12 countries including Australia and India.
“It was tough indeed. But in the end, my hard work paid off and I clinched gold in the bench press category,” he said.
Mr Bajaj recently won a gold and best weightlifter award at the Asia Pacific Weightlifting and Bench Press Championship held in Gold Coast in March 2019.
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Earlier in 1992, he also represented India in a weightlifting competition held in Sydney.
“I won a bronze medal for India at the international competition held in Sydney. This was about the time when I decided to move to Australia from my native place in Patiala, Punjab,” he said.
Mr Bajaj, who runs an Indian restaurant in Melbourne, migrated to Australia about 27 years ago from the northern Indian state of Punjab.
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He said that due to some family commitments he had to abandon his passion for weightlifting from 1992 to 2013.
“I made a comeback in powerlifting by clinching a gold medal in Asia-Oceania International competition held in Singapore in 2014. Ever since this victory, I have consistently competed at various championships,” he added.
“Representing Australia at an international level gives me a sense of pride and happiness. It is my dream to win a gold medal for Australia at the World Championships.”
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Prem Bajaj at SBS Melbourne studio. Source: Photo Preetinder Singh Grewal
