How this 15-year-old Odisha girl ‘sprinted’ to a weightlifting record

Perhaps it was written in the stars that in 2019, my coach Gopal Das would come to my Kendriya Vidyalaya school annual function, in Dhenkanal, as the chief guest. I had been an athlete from an early age, running 100-metre, 200-metre and 400-metre sprints and was the champion in all the races conducted in my school.

During my felicitation at that annual function, Gopal sir gave me the medal and certificate. I had a hunch that he was inquiring about me from my teachers and the principal of my school. I returned home to celebrate my success with my sister and mother, not thinking much more of the encounter. After about six months Gopal sir reached out to me again.

I lost my father at a young age and my sister, Vidhusmita, and mother were my guardians. When Gopal sir asked for my mother’s permission to train me, she denied it, saying I was too young. Gopal sir then suggested he could train my elder sister instead. My mother knew she didn’t have any other option but to agree.

After some days, I decided to visit my sister’s training centre. As she practised, I explored the premises. This is when I saw something that changed my life forever.

The picture of renowned weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, holding a silver medal she won at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, was before me. I was gaping at this picture when Gopal sir approached me and tapped my shoulder. “Do you want to be like her?” he asked. “It will be tough, no?” is all I could manage. His reply changed my perspective. He said, “For me, you will be the youngest medal winner from India in weightlifting.”

That was the day my fitness aligned with Gopal sir’s vision. I decided to join his training centre. I was barely 10 years old at that time but never said no to any exercise that Gopal sir would instruct me to do to test my limits. 

For an entire year, I kept practising. Whenever I used to train, I had an image of Mirabai didi before me. It motivated me never to stop. This is how I made my entry into the world of weightlifting.

I participated in the first state championship held at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The atmosphere was electrifying, though I was a bundle of nerves. I was competing in the under-40 kg category. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it on my first attempt but seeing my performance, many spectators applauded me for my strength.

Witnessing such support helped boost my morale as I and Gopal sir decided not to give up and try again for the state championship the following year. I began by analysing my videos and discussing my shortcomings with my coach. 

The next year, I participated in the state championship in Bhubaneswar with better techniques and clinched the second position. During this championship, I met my competitor, Jyotsana Sabar, who Gopal sir had mentioned earlier, saying, “Jyotsana is standing between you and a medal.”

Since Jyotsana won the championship, she was chosen by the selection committee for the national camp along with me. There was only one month remaining for the national camp. I started training tirelessly. There are two forms – clean and jerk – in weightlifting. I figured that Sabar’s jerk was weak and my strength relied on clean. In the national camp, I was placed in the top seven and Jyotsana stood in the third position. Despite my disappointment the hunger to succeed grew, not just to defeat her but to get the medal and see Mirabai didi. 

The next year, I was selected for the nationals held in Tamil Nadu where I clinched the third position. I was so happy that I hugged Gopal sir and he told me that he had a surprise for me… Mirabai Chanu was also present in the national camp! My eyes were full of tears as I shook hands with her. As a kind gesture, she gave me her kneecap and belt, wishing me luck for the future games.

In January 2022, at the nationals in Noida, I won the silver medal while Jyotsana Sabar won the gold. Given her performance, the national selection committee kept her in reserve. In the same year, I participated in Khelo India Youth Games where I won a silver. The Indian Weightlifting Federation president, Sahdev Yadav, recommended my name for the state championship for the next year. That was where I won my first gold medal.

Jyotsana Sabar and I were selected for the national camp where we underwent two months of training under the guidance of coach Vijay Sharma Boruah and gave the trials for the World Championship. 

The Odisha government has played a crucial role in my journey. Seeing the phenomenal efforts by Gopal sir, the government decided to transform his indoor training centre into a sub-centre, allocating Rs 275 for every meal of each athlete. With all this help, I finally cleared the trials for the World Championship.

When the news came in, I decided to compete with the kneecap and belt given to me by Mirabai didi. What happened next was something surreal. I made the world record of lifting 76 kg in the 40-kg category, and won the gold in the IWF World Youth Championships held in Lima, Peru. 
My opponent-cum-friend Jyotsana Sabar trailed with 69 kg. I was happy that she got the silver medal and both the girls representing India and Odisha stood on the podium at the world level.

That day, when I was standing with the gold medal on the podium, my heart was filled with gratitude for my coach Gopal Das, who never gave up on me, my inspiration Mirabhai Chanu, whose picture motivated me, and all my friends and family who supported me.