Patna: India’s rising weightlifting talents lit up the Rajgir Sports Complex on Saturday, with Odisha’s Harsabardhan Sahu and Jyoshna Sabar clinching gold and rewriting record books at the Khelo India Youth Games 2025 in Bihar — just days after winning medals at the World Youth Championships in Lima.
For 15-year-old Harsabardhan Sahu from Ganjam, who turns 16 later this month, the triumph was double-fold. Competing in the boys’ 49kg category, the Khelo India athlete shattered two National Youth Records, lifting 115kg in Clean and Jerk and registering a total of 203kg after an 88kg Snatch. He eclipsed the marks set last year by Jharkhand’s Babulal Hembrom. His final lift, in particular, brought the arena to its feet and stood out as arguably the most electrifying moment of the Games thus far.
Not to be outdone, 16-year-old Jyoshna Sabar of Gajapati, a reigning Asian champion and triple medallist at the World Youth Championships, made light work of her field in the girls’ 40kg division. Fresh from securing bronze in Lima just 10 days ago, she lifted just enough to secure the gold for Odisha, showcasing composure and class beyond her years.
The weightlifting arena continued to buzz late into the evening as Maharashtra’s Asmita Dhone and Uttar Pradesh’s Manasi Chamunda traded records in the girls’ 49kg category. Chamunda briefly held the National Youth record in Snatch with a 75kg lift and set a new mark for total with 163kg. But Dhone stole the show, raising the bar with three consecutive Clean and Jerk lifts of 91kg, 95kg and 97kg — each setting new benchmarks for total and the last two for Clean and Jerk.
The surge in medals strengthened Maharashtra’s dominance in the Games, which now leads the medal tally with 27 gold, 21 silver and 24 bronze — 72 in total, nearly twice the gold haul of second-placed Karnataka. Earlier in the day, Akanksha Kishore Vyavahare opened Maharashtra’s weightlifting medal count, following left-hander Kavya Bhatt’s triumph in girls’ table tennis.
Punjab climbed to fifth in the standings courtesy of skeet shooters Harazeez Singh Atwal and Risham Kaur Guron. With six gold medals, Punjab joined Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Manipur, edging ahead due to a superior silver count.
Elsewhere, Delhi and Assam celebrated gold medals — Delhi’s Naamya Kapoor edged Madhya Pradesh’s Anjali Bhagwat by a single point in the 25m pistol final, while Assam’s Priyanuj Bhattacharyya claimed victory in the boys’ singles.
Bihar, the host state, added two silver medals in sepak takraw but endured heartbreak in both finals. In the girls’ doubles, Bihar squandered a commanding 11–4 lead in the decider to lose to Nagaland, while in the boys’ final, Assam edged Bihar 15–9, 17–15. Despite the setbacks, Bihar climbed into the top half of the medal table with 19 medals: three gold, eight silver and eight bronze.
Meanwhile, Karnataka welcomed gold from outside its swimming stronghold as Naraen Pranav Vanitha Suresh edged Maharashtra’s Parth Mane in the boys’ 10m air rifle final.
Still, it was Harsabardhan Sahu’s final lift — a display of sheer strength and mental grit — that stole the spotlight, marking the high point of the Games so far.
