India’s Youth Weightlifters Aim for Commonwealth Games 2026 Qualification After Successful Asian Championships

New Delhi, December 28: Following an outstanding performance at the 2024 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Doha, India’s medal-winning athletes are setting their sights on even greater achievements in 2025. The championships, held from December 19 to December 25, saw India secure 33 medals across youth and junior categories, marking a promising start to the year.

India’s next big goal is to qualify for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with the country’s weightlifting coach and Olympic medalist, Mirabai Chanu’s mentor Vijay Sharma, expressing his confidence in the athletes’ future prospects. He described the results from Doha as an encouraging sign of what lies ahead.

The competition in Qatar included 40 categories, divided equally between youth and junior age groups. Medals were awarded in snatch, clean and jerk, and overall performance across these categories. India’s youth lifters (aged 13-17) won 21 medals, including seven golds, while the junior lifters (15-20 years) brought home 12 medals.

One of the standout athletes was 16-year-old Jyoshna Sabar from Uttar Pradesh, who set a new Asian record in the women’s youth 40kg class with a combined lift of 135 kg. This performance was a testament to Sharma’s belief that Indian women weightlifters hold immense potential for international medals.

A key factor in India’s success was the Khelo India initiative, which focuses on nurturing young talent from the grassroots level. Out of the 24 athletes who represented India in Doha, 22 were Khelo India Athletes (KIA), and the entire team trained at one of the three National Centres of Excellence (NCoEs) in Patiala, Imphal, and Aurangabad.

Alakesh Baruah, the High-Performance Manager for weightlifting at NIS Patiala, highlighted that having such a strong pool of youth athletes will benefit India in future global competitions. He credited the athletes’ success to the comprehensive training programs supported by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF).

Baruah added that the selection process, which involved trials at NIS Patiala in June for various international competitions, ensured the team’s readiness for the Asian Youth and Junior Championships. The squad was meticulously chosen under the guidance of Vijay Sharma, a Dronacharya Award-winning coach.

Looking ahead, Maibam Martina Devi, a silver medalist in the women’s Junior +87kg category, spoke about her upcoming goals. She mentioned that 2025 would mark the beginning of trials for Commonwealth Games 2026 qualification, with Ahmedabad slated to host the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships, the primary qualifier. She also plans to compete in the National Games in Uttarakhand, aiming to maintain her momentum.

Sairaj Pardeshi, another standout performer from NIS Patiala, created a new national record in the men’s youth 81kg category, lifting a total of 310kg (139kg snatch + 171kg clean and jerk). Reflecting on his journey, Pardeshi credited his success to the training he received at the SAI centres, which have provided him with valuable support, including diet, coaching, and financial assistance through the Khelo India scheme.

Pardeshi recalled his early days in weightlifting, starting at the age of 12 in Maharashtra before joining the SAI centres in 2021. Despite narrowly missing out on a medal at the 2024 Youth World Championships by a mere 1kg, he was thrilled to claim gold at his first Asian competition.

List of Medals:

Junior Category:

• Sanjana: Silver (Women’s Junior 76kg – Clean and Jerk), Silver (Women’s Junior 76kg – Total)
• Nilam Devi: Silver (Women’s Junior 55kg – Snatch), Silver (Women’s Junior 55kg – Clean and Jerk), Silver (Women’s Junior 55kg – Total)
• Maibam Martina Devi: Silver (Women’s Junior +87kg – Total), Silver (Women’s Junior +87kg – Clean and Jerk), Bronze (Women’s Junior +87kg – Snatch)
• Valluri Ajaya Babu: Silver (Men’s Junior 81kg – Snatch)
• Payal: Bronze (Women’s Junior 45kg – Total), Bronze (Women’s Junior 45kg – Clean and Jerk)
• Shankar Lapung: Bronze (Men’s Junior 61kg – Total)

Youth Category:

• Jyoshna Sabar: Gold (Women’s Youth 40kg – Total), Gold (Women’s Youth 40kg – Snatch), Gold (Women’s Youth 40kg – Clean and Jerk)
• Payal: Gold (Women’s Youth 45kg – Total), Gold (Women’s Youth 45kg – Snatch), Bronze (Women’s Youth 45kg – Clean and Jerk)
• Koyel Bar: Gold (Women’s Youth 55kg – Clean & Jerk), Silver (Women’s Youth 55kg – Total), Bronze (Women’s Youth 55kg – Snatch)
• Sairaj Pardeshi: Gold (Men’s Youth 81kg – Total), Silver (Men’s Youth 81kg – Snatch), Silver (Men’s Youth 81kg – Clean and Jerk)
• Preetismita Bhoi: Silver (Women’s Youth 45kg – Clean and Jerk)
• Sanjana: Silver (Women’s Youth 76kg – Total), Silver (Women’s Youth 76kg – Snatch), Silver (Women’s Youth 76kg – Clean and Jerk)
• K Oviya: Silver (Women’s Youth 81kg – Clean and Jerk)
• Babulal Hembrom: Bronze (Men’s Youth 49kg – Total)
• Asmita Dhone: Bronze (Women’s Youth 49kg – Clean and Jerk)
• Parv Chaudhary: Bronze (Men’s Youth 96kg – Clean and Jerk), Bronze (Men’s Youth 96kg – Total)

With such a strong performance in Doha, India’s young weightlifters are poised to achieve even greater heights, with the Commonwealth Games 2026 being their next major target. The continued support from initiatives like Khelo India and the SAI, combined with the mentorship of coaches like Vijay Sharma, sets the stage for a bright future in international weightlifting.