India's Young Weightlifters Set Sights on CWG 2026 After Asian Triumph
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New Delhi, Dec 28 (NationPress) India’s medal-winning athletes are poised to elevate their performance in the new year after their stellar showing at the Asian youth and junior weightlifting championships 2024 in Doha, where India clinched 33 medals across youth and junior categories.
The next milestone for the lifters is to qualify for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026. National weightlifting coach and Olympian, Mirabai Chanu's mentor, Vijay Sharma, expressed optimism, stating that the Doha results reflect a promising outlook for India.
The weightlifting event in Qatar featured 40 categories, with 20 each in youth and junior divisions. Medals were awarded for the snatch, clean and jerk, and overall performances in each category.
India’s youth (ages 13-17) athletes achieved 21 medals, including seven golds, while the juniors (ages 15-20) secured 12 medals. A standout performer was Jyoshna Sabar from Uttar Pradesh, a 16-year-old who set an Asian record in the women’s youth 40kg category, lifting a combined total of 135 kgs. This reinforced Sharma’s belief that “India’s women have a brighter chance of securing international medals.”
India’s grassroots initiative, Khelo India, aims to identify and nurture talent, receiving a significant boost as 22 out of 24 athletes representing India in Doha were Khelo India Athletes (KIA). The entire team trained at one of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) National Centres of Excellence (NCoEs) located in NIS Patiala, Imphal, and Aurangabad.
Alakesh Baruah, the High Performance Manager for weightlifting at NIS Patiala, stated: “Having so many youth athletes will greatly benefit us in the future. These youngsters show substantial potential for upcoming world junior and senior competitions.”
Baruah elaborated that the medals earned in Doha were the result of a “long training process supported by SAI and the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF).”
“In June, we conducted trials at NIS Patiala for various international competitions, including the junior worlds and Asian championships, which ultimately led to the team selection under the guidance of Dronacharya Award-winning coach Vijay Sharma,” Baruah added.
Discussing her plans, Maibam Martina Devi, who won silver in the women's Junior +87kg category at the 2024 Asian meet, told SAI Media, “Trials for Commonwealth Games 2026 qualification will commence in 2025. The Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad will serve as the qualifying event. I also plan to compete in the National Games in Uttarakhand, so I must continue to perform well.”
Among the male athletes, Sairaj Pardeshi, training at NIS Patiala, set a new national record in the overall lift, achieving 310kg (139kg snatch + 171kg clean and jerk) in the 81kg men’s youth category.
Sairaj, who will mark one year at NIS Patiala in January 2025, credited the training at SAI centres for his burgeoning career.
“I began weightlifting in Maharashtra in 2018 when I was 12. I trained there until the Covid lockdown, and then in 2021, I joined Aurangabad. Earlier this year, I moved to NIS Patiala. The support from SAI centres has significantly enhanced my career in terms of discipline, nutrition, coaching, and more,” he shared with SAI Media.
“The Khelo India scholarship funding aids in acquiring protein supplements and other essential benefits. I narrowly missed a medal by 1kg at the 2024 Youth World Championships, but I’m thrilled to have won gold in my debut at the Asian competition,” Sairaj concluded.
