How Did KIYG 2025 Witness Odisha’s Harshbardhan Sahu and Maharashtra’s Asmita Dhone Set National Youth Records?

Rajgir, May 10 (NationPress) Harshbardhan Sahu from Odisha etched his name in history on Saturday by achieving two remarkable youth national records, earning gold at the ongoing Khelo India Youth Games held at the Rajgir Sports Complex.

Harshbardhan's impressive lift of 115kg in clean & jerk and a total lift of 203kg are now both national youth records, breaking last year's record set by Babulal Hembrom (Snatch 88 + 114 clean & jerk) from Jharkhand during the IWF World Youth Championships in Suva, Fiji.

Additionally, there was an impressive display of national youth records in the final event on Saturday. In the girls' 49kg category, Asmita Dhone showcased her prowess by setting a youth national record three times with lifts of 91kg, 95kg, and 97kg, securing gold for Maharashtra with a total lift of 170kg (73+93). Mansi Chamunda from Uttar Pradesh (75+88) and Pooja Sanjay Thepekar (60+72) followed with silver and bronze, respectively.

Harshbardhan, who trains at the Sports Authority of India's (SAI) NIS Patiala, had recently returned with a bronze medal from the World Youth Championships in Lima, Peru on May 6. Continuing his momentum, he started with an 82kg lift in snatch and progressed to 85kg and 88kg. In Clean & Jerk, he displayed confidence by completing a 108kg lift on his first attempt, which was 8kg more than his closest rival Niklesh Lakra from Jharkhand.

He then lifted 112kg and ultimately 115kg to set a new national youth record and secure the gold medal. At the World Youth Championships, Harshbardhan had recorded a total of 197kg (87+110kg).

"I feel fantastic for giving my best and setting a new national record here at KIYG. Having just returned from winning a bronze medal at the World Youth Championship in Peru, I am thrilled. Despite limited training time, my focus was solely on performing my best, and I succeeded. The support from the Indian government and SAI has been invaluable. I train under coach Alkesh at NIS Patiala, and that has greatly contributed to my success," Harshbardhan shared with SAI Media.

Harshbardhan's aim at the Khelo India Youth Games was also to qualify for the upcoming Commonwealth Youth, Junior & Senior Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad from August 24 to 30 of this year. Remarkably, the 18-year-old has already qualified directly with his record total lift.

"This event was critical for me as I aimed to qualify for the Commonwealth Championship later this year. A strong performance in Ahmedabad might lead to an invitation for the selection trials for the next Asian Championships and Commonwealth Games," added the Odisha lifter, who began weightlifting in a gym back in 2019.

Harshbardhan's fellow state athlete Jyoshana Sabar, who also recently clinched a bronze at the World Youth Championships in Peru, showcased an outstanding performance to secure gold in the 40kg category with an overall lift of 122kg (55+67kg). At the World Youth Championships, Jyoshana had lifted a total of 129kg (56+72kg).

Jyoshana trains at the Weightlifting High Performance Centre in Bhubaneswar under renowned foreign coach Zoltan Batorfi from Hungary. Hailing from a farming family in the small village of Pekata in Gajapaty district, which consists of only 7-8 houses, she was identified by two-time Commonwealth Games medallist Ravi Kumar, who continues to train her.

Expressing gratitude to her coach and parents, Jyoshana stated, "Winning gold feels incredible; I didn't expect to achieve this. With just 2-3 days to train, my coach helped me maintain my focus. I owe my success to my coaches and parents, who have been tremendously supportive."

As a Khelo India Athlete (KIA), Jyoshana receives a monthly stipend of Rs 10,000, which aids her in managing daily expenses without placing a burden on her family. She has been training at NIS Patiala for the past year and a half and also won the ASMITA League this January in Berhampore.

"Receiving Rs 10,000 as a stipend is a significant support for someone like me. I cannot thank SAI and Khelo India enough for this assistance. It allows me to pursue training and coaching, as well as travel and competition costs, without troubling my parents, as SAI NCOE covers it all," Jyoshana remarked.

In the girls' 45kg category, Maharashtra's Akanksha Kishor Vyavahare successfully defended her title with an overall lift of 148kg (68+80kg), which was 20 kilograms more than runner-up Lovejot Kaur from Punjab. Vedika Dattatray Tole from Maharashtra claimed the bronze medal with a total lift of 127kg (57+70).

Results:

Boys

49kg class: 1. Harshbardhan Sahu (Odisha) 88kg (snatch), 115kg (clean and jerk) New National Youth Record (Old: 114, Babulal Hembrom, Jharkhand, 2024), 203kg (total) New National Youth Record (Old: 202, Babulal Hembrom, Jharkhand, 2024); 2. Niklesh Lakra (Jharkhand) 83, 101, 184; 3. Arshlan (Uttarakhand) 83, 100, 183.

55kg: 1. Thingujam Bunny Singh (Manipur) 96, 117, 213; 2. Prudvi Appaneni (Andhra Pradesh) 93, 114, 207; 3. Dharmajyoti Dwagharia (Assam) 89, 118, 207.

Girls

40kg class: 1. Jyoshana Sabar (Odisha) 55kg (snatch) 67kg (clean and jerk), 122kg (total); 2. Dharshinipriya I (Puducherry) 50, 66, 116; 3. K Ishwariya (Tamil Nadu) 50, 65, 115.

45kg: 1. Akanksha Kishore Vyavahare (Maharashtra) 68, 80, 148; 2. Lovejot Kaur (Punjab) 55, 73, 128; 3. Vedika Dattatray Tole (Maharashtra) 57, 70, 127.

49kg: 1. Asmita Dhone (Maharashtra) 73, 97, 170 (new national record); 2. Mansi Chamunda (UP) 75, 88, 163; 3. Pooja Sanjay Thepekar 60, 72, 132.