KIYG 2025: Maharashtra’s Sairaj Pardeshi breaks 3 national records to win 81kg weightlifting gold

Maharashtra weightlifter Sairaj Rajesh Pardeshi shattered three youth national records to clinch gold in the 81kg category at the ongoing Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2025, held at the Rajgir Sports Complex on Monday.

Pardeshi lifted a total of 312kg (140kg snatch + 172kg clean & jerk), surpassing his previous records in all three categories—snatch (139kg), clean & jerk (171kg), and total lift (311kg)—which he had set during the Asian Championships in Doha, Qatar, in December 2024.

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Andhra Pradesh’s M. Tarun claimed the silver medal with a total lift of 287kg, while Aayush Rana of Uttar Pradesh took home the bronze with a combined lift of 264kg.

Training under Alkesh Barua at the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) Netaji Subhash National Institute of Sports in Patiala since 2024, Sairaj dominated the field to successfully defend the Khelo India Youth Games gold he won in Chennai last year in the same weight class.

He had also secured a bronze medal in the 73kg category at the 2023 KIYG in Indore. Sairaj was inducted into SAI’s National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Aurangabad in 2021, where he trained under DD Sharma.

“Initially, my goal wasn’t to break records; I just wanted to take it one lift at a time. But as the competition progressed, I became determined to improve my performance. I want to thank my family, coaches, and the government for their continuous support,” Pardeshi told SAI Media.

“I want to become the first Indian male weightlifter to win an Olympic medal. Karnam Malleswari and Mirabai Chanu have already done it for the women, but no Indian man has achieved that yet. I want to change that,” he added.

With the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) expected to revise weight categories next month, Pardeshi, a Khelo India Athlete (KIA), plans to move up to the 88kg class.

“I want to shift to the 88kg category, which is likely to be formalized by the IWF. With added body weight, I’m confident I can lift even more. Being part of the NCOE comes with many advantages—world-class coaching, recovery support, and fully sponsored participation in national and international competitions. It makes an athlete’s life much easier, and I’m grateful to the Sports Ministry and SAI for their support,” the 17-year-old said.

Earlier in the day, Arunachal Pradesh’s Tayar Ronik captured the state’s first weightlifting gold at KIYG 2025 by lifting 154kg in clean and jerk during his third attempt, narrowly edging out Assam’s Hemanta Doimari in the 73kg category. Tayar lifted a total of 267kg—just one kilogram more than Hemanta. Madhya Pradesh’s Himanshu Kushwaha settled for bronze with a total lift of 255kg.

After missing out on medals at two previous KIYGs and three Indian Weightlifting Federation National Youth Championships, Tayar finally overcame his self-doubt to strike gold.

“I’m delighted with this victory—it’s my first KIYG medal, and it came in my third appearance. I had missed out in the Nationals for three consecutive years, and I didn’t even go home after the Nationals last October because I was so disappointed. I promised myself I’d only return after winning a medal,” said Tayar, who began lifting weights at the age of nine.

In the youth girls’ 64kg category, Andhra Pradesh’s Gujjala Varshita won the gold medal with a total lift of 174kg, finishing two kilograms ahead of Odisha’s Tiki Mohini Mallik. Hailing from Olympic medallist Karnam Malleswari’s hometown of Srikakulam, Gujjala aspires to represent India at the Commonwealth and Asian Games.

“I’m very happy to win gold here. My next goal is to qualify for the Commonwealth and Asian Games through the upcoming selection trials. Karnam ma’am is my idol, and I want to make my family, state, and country proud like she did,” Gujjala told SAI Media.

Tiki, from Malukutupulli village in Odisha’s Ganjam district, has been training at the High Performance Centre in Bhubaneswar since 2021 under coach K Venkat Laxmi. She is now focused on the upcoming Odisha State Championship and the IWLF National Championship.