Maharashtra teen lifter Kajol Sargar wins first KIYG gold
Maharashtra teenager Kajol Sargar won the women’s 40kg weightlifting gold to claim the first medal to be decided in the Khelo India Youth Games on Sunday. The 16-year-old from Sangli, Maharashtra lifted a total of 113 kg (50kg snatch, 63kg clean and jerk).
The daughter of a tea stall vendor was inspired after another lifter from Sangli, Rupa Hangandi, won gold in the last edition of KIYG in Pune in 2019. “It was only after learning about Rupa’s success that I felt I should also try weightlifting,” she said after the victory.
Sargar, coached by Mayur Sinhasane, kicked off Maharashtra’s march to the top of the medals table with nine gold medals. Sargar won bronze in the youth nationals in August, 2021 in Patiala but had returned after a wrist injury suffered this year.
Her state-mate Harshada Garud rewrote the youth national record to win the women’s 45kg title edging out Uttar Pradesh’s Anjali Patel. After both lifted 80kg in clean and jerk, Garud was successful at 83 kg while Anjali failed.
Hosts Haryana are second overall. They have the most medals, 23 (6 gold, 6 silver, 12 bronze) against Maharashtra’s 17 (9 gold, 4 silver, 4 bronze).
Maharashtra won three of the four weightlifting events, three in yoga and one in cycling. Haryana dominated wrestling by winning all five gold on offer, and one in cycling. Manipur were third overall, winning four events in Thang-ta (sword and spear in Manipuri), martial art indigenous to the state.
Haryana began their medal charge at the velodrome in Delhi with Vrinda Yadav bagging gold in the girls 7.5kg Scratch Race. The hosts were banking on making a clean sweep of gold on the wrestling mat and Ronit Sharma did not disappoint, opening their account in the boys’ Greco-Roman 51 kg category where he beat state-mate Rahul. Sahil Jaglan won 10-0 over Robinpreet Singh of Punjab in the freestyle 92 kg division. Jyoti completed the clean sweep by defeating Maharashtra’s Pragati Gaikwad by technical superiority in the girls’ 57kg category.
Gatka in focus
Another sport with its roots in martial arts, gatka, made its debut at KIYG. Originally a sword fight that originated in Punjab where Sikh fighters, or Nihangs, performed, it is now a sport form where wooden sticks are used. The competition is held in two categories—farri soti (individual and team) and single soti (individual and team).
“Khelo India Games provide a big platform. Earlier, we were training children including poor ones just to prepare them for life, but then they started competing in the nationals in 2011 and began winning medals,” Jammu and Kashmir gatka coach Ranjit Singh said.
“The girls feel empowered and confident learning gatka. In today’s time, gatka is a (great) form of self-defence like other martial arts.”
Mehakdeep Kaur (16) and Manish Kaur (14), daughters of a carpenter in Tral town in Kashmir are part of the Jammu and Kashmir team. They have trained and competed for eight years. “I want to be a doctor and also train children in this sport,” Mehakdeep said.
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