Arunachal CM Pema Khandu celebrates India's triumph at IWF World Youth Weightlifting Championship

In a proud moment for India, young Indian weightlifters have brought home four medals from the 2024 IWF World Youth Weightlifting Championship in Lima, Peru. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu took to the microblogging site X to share the exhilarating news and extend his congratulations.

In his post, CM Khandu highlighted the remarkable achievements of the athletes: "A proud moment for India at IWF World Youth Weightlifting Championship," Khandu wrote.

Preetismita Bhoi from Odisha was a standout performer, winning gold in the Women’s 40kg Clean & Jerk and setting a new World Record (WR) with a 76 kg lift. "I am honoured and thrilled to have set a new world record. This is a dream come true and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my coaches, family, and the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF)," said Bhoi. "I hope this inspires others to pursue their dreams with determination and hard work."

Preetismita’s fellow competitor, Jyoshna Sabar, also excelled in the 40kg category, winning a silver medal with a total lift of 69 kgs. Turkey’s Fatma Sena Kolcak finished third with a lift of 65 kgs. "Preetismita is a true role model for aspiring weightlifters," said IWLF president Sahdev Yadav.

India’s success continued with Babulal Hembrom Sabar from Jharkhand, who secured a bronze medal in the Men’s 49kg event with a total lift of 193 kg (86 kg in Snatch and 107 kg in Clean & Jerk).

Adding to the medal tally, Payal finished second in the Women’s 45kg category, securing a silver medal, while also clinching two bronze medals in Snatch and Clean & Jerk events.

Chief Minister Khandu expressed his pride and congratulations: "Congratulations to all winners & best wishes." 

"Getting selected to represent the country in the Youth Championships is an achievement in itself. In the last two years, Odisha has dominated the U14 category," said Ravi Kumar, General Secretary of the Odisha Weightlifting Association. Under the mentorship of coaches like Gopal Das and Ravi Kumar, these young athletes have shown exceptional promise.

The athletes and their coaches are already looking ahead to future competitions. "We had targeted the World Championships this year, in preparation for Youth Olympics and Commonwealth Games," said Gopal Das, Preetismita’s coach. "We were working hard for this [breaking the world record] and [Preeti] showed a lot of dedication and sacrifice to reach the target."

Ravi Kumar also acknowledged the support from Odisha's Sports and Youth Services department, emphasizing the importance of institutional backing in achieving these milestones. "A special thanks must be conveyed to Odisha Sports and Youth Services department for their involvement in providing us all the support we need and for considering weightlifting as an avenue for a future Olympic medal," he remarked.