Khelo India 2019: Tumbling records validate KIYG, says Weightlifting Secretary General Yadav

Pune, January 12: It is hard to miss the buzz and excitement in the Weightlifting Hall here at the Khelo India Youth Games. Records have tumbled like nine pins and that augurs well as the young lifters have shown a lot of progress in recent months and years.

The first two days of competition saw a plethora of records, many from the North-East weightlifters like Jeremy Lalrinnunga and Jacob Vanlaltluanga, who have proved to be among the most talented in the sport.

It is an added bonus that the lifters are turning in record-breaking performance here, with 24 marks being re-written across various weight categories in two days. The records have been in relation to the Junior Nationals and show a great deal of progress and the efforts put in by the Federation and the SAI, which has provided all the help.

Visitors to the weightlifting arena at KIYG 2019 could not have missed a tall gentleman, Sahdev Yadav, Secretary General of the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF), keeping an eagle eye on proceedings. His presence seems to ensure that officials on the job stay on their toes and that participants are free to give their best.

Yadav feels this is par for the course as he seeks to ensure that no stone is left unturned in smooth conduct of the event.

Yadav said, “Yes it is very heartening to see so many records being created", but added as a caveat, “those who have created these records will be checked for doping and age records. We will accept these performances only after due verification.”

Speaking about the increasing popularity of weightlifting, Yadav said, “We see a lot of young boys and girls opting for this sport nowadays. I would say that there has been an increase of 20 to 25% of the number of people joining in the last couple of years and I am sure this trend will continue."

“Sport is not only about passion. It also has to be supported with good infrastructure and training. We have in place academies that have state of the art infrastructure, and lifters are provided with well-balanced diet plans, food supplements and coaching of the highest level. We also have coaches from other nations guiding our players.”

About KIYG, Yadav added, ”I would say that KIYG 2019 has already been successful in every aspect. This is the best possible platform for players and I am sure we will see new Olympians rising from this platform.”