Pune’s Harshada Garud, 18 years old, created history as she clinched Gold at the World Junior Weightlifting Championships in Heraklion, Greece, on Monday.
Harshada lifted 70kg in snatch and 83kg in clean & jerk to total 153kg for Gold in the 45kg weight category.
The Pune girl beat last edition’s champion Bektas Cansu of Turkey, who lifted 150kg (65kg + 85kg) for the Silver. The Bronze went to Moldova’s Hincu Teodara-Luminita (67kg +82kg) with a total of 149kg.
With this feat, Harshada has become the first Indian to win Gold at Junior Weightlifting Championships. Mirabai Chanu (2013) and Jhilli Dalabehera (2018)’s Bronze, Jeremy Lalrinnunga and Achinta Sheuli’s silver last year are the other medal winners for India at the Worlds. Mirabai won the Silver at the Tokyo Olympics last year. “I am happy that I could lift my best today. My previous best was 67kg and 79kg at the State Meet, but I had been training to lift more since the past few months”, said Harshada, a first year BA student.
Harshada, who hails from Vadgaon Maval near Pune, took up the sport when she was 12. Her father, Sharad, a former lifter himself, took her to a nearby training centre.
Sharad, who works as water supervisor in the Vadgaon Maval panchayat, said, “I had participated in the State Meet in 1994 but couldn’t continue due to financial circumstances. I had to leave the sport but I always wished to see my daughter take up the sport. Things were not great financially even when she started, but I could manage with the help of my relatives, who pitched in with money for Harshada’s training.”
Harshada has been supported by the Target Olympic Podium Scheme since last year. Asked if harshada enjoyed her training, Sharad said, “She used to cry initially, but then got used to routine. I think her biggest strength is her temperament. She is like West Indian cricketers, passionate and sometimes impulsive, and this works for her.”
National coach Pramod Kumar, who is in Greece with the lifters, said Harshada was certainly the most confident lifter on Monday. “If you ask me, the lifts are good. If they can fetch you Golds at Worlds, then they are good enough. She was successful in all six attempts and she was the best in the field today.” said Pramod.
