Vikas Thakur is an Indian weightlifter and junior warrant officer at the Indian Airforce. He has won medals in three Commonwealth Games i.e. Commonwealth Games at Glasgow, Scotland (silver; 2014), Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast (bronze; 2018), and Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England (silver; 2022). He is 9 times national medalist in weightlifting with 8 gold medals and one silver medal.He grew up in Ludhiana, Punjab. [4]Amar Ujala.Since childhood, he was interested in sports. At the age of 9, he started his training in weightlifting at his home. He used to lift iron bars at his home along with his father, who was a volleyball player. In an interview, while talking about it, he said, I would finish my homework early and to ensure that I don’t get into bad company, my parents put me to sports. tried athletics, boxing and finally weightlifting at the Ludhiana Club under CWG 1990 medallist Parvesh Chander Sharma.” A childhood picture of Vikas Thakur in a weightlifting competition.His father then decided to start Vikas’ professional training in weighting. Later, Vikas enrolled at the Ludhiana Weightlifting Center, Punjab and started his training under the Indian weightlifter Parvesh Chander Sharma. Later, he did his training at Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports: Patiala, Punjab, and Weight Lifting Gym in Rakh Bagh, Ludhiana. He went on to continue his training at Ludhiana Weightlifting Club, Guru Nanak Stadium, Ludhiana, Punjab. During an interview, he shared that in various weightlifting clubs in India, proper facilities were not available for the athletes. He said, We wanted more facilities for Indian athletes to match those offered to foreign athletes. Indian coaches are talented and they can produce many more champions, but we lag behind due to poor facilities. There is a need for more sports training equipment and other facilities to win medals at international competitions.”.Vikas has participated in various national and international weightlifting tournaments such as:.In 2018, he was appointed as the junior warrant officer by the Indian Airforce. Vikas Thakur at the Indian Air Force Headquarters, New Delhi.He has received various felicitations at the state and national levels. Vikas Thakur on being felicitated by Prem Kumar Dhumal.In 2018, he was tested for dope test, and he came negative for the test. In an interview, while talking about the test, the then general team manager Namdev Shirgaonkar said, The officials of the medical commission took three athletes, one more athlete, Vikas Thakur was called. We took them to the medical commission. Thakur’s bag was searched. He underwent a dope test. He answered all the medical commission questions, nothing was found in the bag and his dope test was clear. He was on his way home but unfortunately we were told that he should be brought to the medical commission. After that he was cleared and he went. Thakur does not have any doping history.”.He is often spotted drinking alcohol at parties and events. Vikas Thakur in a restaurant.