They are as great a sportsman as any other in the country
A prominent sport in the Olympics right from 1896, weightlifting has seen many prominent faces emerging as champions. The game since its inception has even evolved and reached India, thus establishing the Indian weightlifting federation in 1935. While the first Indian weightlifting contingent participated in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the Indian women lifters made their debut in 1989 in Manchester. From there on India has produced some finest of weightlifters who have made India proud on many big stages. So here is a list of Indian weightlifters that we might not know about.
MukeshGehlot A bodybuilder and powerlifter, MukeshGehlot holds the national record of winning Mr. India title 4 times, in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012. An engineer by qualification, he began training in bodybuilding in 1997 under the tutorship of Dronacharya awardee, BhupenderDhawan. In a career spanning over 20 years, Gahlot has several gold medals in international powerlifting competitions under his belt. In 2012, he won two gold medals at the British Open Powerlifting Championship. In 2016 he won a gold medal at the World Powerlifting Championship and then again in 2017 at the Pro Olympia Powerlifting championship in Las Vegas.
NameirakpamKunjarani Devi One of the most decorated weightlifters from India, Devi started her streaks of winning gold medals in the National Weightlifting Championships in 44-kilogram, 46-kilogram, and 48-kilogram. She has under name two new national records in Trivandrum in 1987.
Gaurav Sharma A student of the Dronacharya Awardee BhupendraDhawan, Sharma has four Commonwealth and two World Powerlifting Championship gold medals to his name.
SaikhomMirabaiChanu Hailing from Manipur, MirabaiChanu has been a regular face from the Indian powerlifting community representing the nation from 2014 in the 48 kg category. After winning a silver medal in the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Chanu rose to fame and three years later won a gold medal at the World championship in 2017. In 2020 she went on to win a silver medal at 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Women's 49 kg category.
Kunjarani Devi Considered one of the best Weightlifters of her time, the Manipuri lifter has won seven silver medals in the World championship and two bronze medals in the Asian games, in the 44kg and 46kg category. However, she decided to switch from powerlifting to weightlifting in 1985 and won gold at the National Games.
