Weightlifting in India

Weightlifting in India
CountryIndia
Governing bodyIndian Weightlifting Federation
National team(s)India
International competitions
Olympics: Karnam Malleswari, bronze, 2000, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, silver, 2020

Karnam Malleswari won a bronze medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics at Sydney, which made her the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.[1] In 1992, she participated in the Asian championship which took place in Thailand and stood second and won three silver medals. She also won three Bronze medals in the world championship.

In the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu won the gold medal in the women's 48 kg category, while Mirabai Chanu took the silver in the same event. In the men's 56 kg category, Sukhen Dey won gold and Ganesh Mali won bronze and Sathish Sivalingam won the gold medal in the 77 kg category, with 149 kg snatch, and 179 kg clean and jerk lifts, totalling 328 kg. His lift of 149 kg in the snatch, set a new games record. Affin Varghese won the gold medal in the 57 kg category, with 114 kg snatch, and 130 kg clean and jerk lifts, totalling 298 kg. His lift of 139 kg in the snatch, set a new state record in the junior category.

The headquarters of the Indian Weightlifting Federation is in New Delhi. The Federation is affiliated to the Indian Olympic Association (Delhi) and is also a member of Asian Weightlifting Federation (Tehran) and International Weightlifting Federation (Budapest). The present General Secretary of Indian Weightlifting Federation is Mr. Sahdev Yadav.

The International Weightlifting Federation banned the Indian Weightlifting Federation from participating in all international competitions for one year, as three Indian women weightlifters—S Sunaina, Sanamacha Chanu and Pratima Kumari, were accused of doping offences in various international competitions in a single year.

Total medals won by Indian Weightlifters in Major tournaments

Competition Gold Silver Bronze Total
Olympic Games 0 1 1 2
World Championships Final 3 9 5 17
World Championships 5 19 10 34
Asian Games 0 5 9 14
Commonwealth Games 46 51 36 133
Total 54 85 61 199
  • updated till 31st July, 2024

Notable Performance at Summer Olympics

Year Event Player Result
2000
Women's 69 kg Karnam Malleswari 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Women's 53 kg Sanamacha Chanu 6th
2004
Women's 48 kg Kunjarani Devi 4th
2012
Women's 48 kg Ngangbam Soniya Chanu 7th
2020
Women's 49 kg Saikhom Mirabai Chanu 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2024
Women's 49 kg Saikhom Mirabai Chanu 4th

List of National Sports award recipients in Weightlifting, showing the year, award, and gender

Year Recipient Award Gender
1994–1995 Karnam Malleswari Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Female
1995–1996 Nameirakpam Kunjarani Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Female
2018 Saikhom Mirabai Chanu Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Female
1961 A. N. Ghosh Arjuna Award Male
1962 L. K. Dass Arjuna Award Male
1963 Kamineni Eswara Rao Arjuna Award Male
1965 Balbir Singh Bhatia Arjuna Award Male
1966 Mohon Lal Ghosh Arjuna Award Male
1967 Savarimuthu John Cabriel Arjuna Award Male
1970 Arun Kumar Dass Arjuna Award Male
1971 Shyamlal Salwan Arjuna Award Male
1972 Anil Mondal Arjuna Award Male
1974 S. Vellaiswamy Arjuna Award Male
1975 Dalbir Singh Arjuna Award Male
1976 K. Balamuruganandam Arjuna Award Male
1977–1978 M. T. Selvan Arjuna Award Male
1978–1979 Ekambaram Karunakaran Arjuna Award Male
1981 Bijay Kumar Satpathy Arjuna Award Male
1982 Tara Singh Arjuna Award Male
1983 Vispy K. Daroga Arjuna Award Male
1985 Mehar Chand Bhaskar Arjuna Award Male
1986 Jagmohan Sapra Arjuna Award Male
1987 G. Devan Arjuna Award Male
1989 Jyotsna Dutta Arjuna Award Female
1990 R. Chandra Arjuna Award Male
1990 Kunjarani Devi Arjuna Award Female
1991 Chhaya Adak Arjuna Award Female
1993 Bharati Singh Arjuna Award Female
1994 Karnam Malleswari Arjuna Award Male
1997 N. Laxmi Arjuna Award Female
1997 Paramjit Sharma Arjuna Award Male
1998 Satheesha Rai Arjuna Award Male
1999 Dalbir Singh Arjuna Award Male
2000 Sanamacha Chanu Arjuna Award Female
2002 Thandava Murthy Muthu Arjuna Award Male
2006 Geeta Rani Arjuna Award Female
2011 Katulu Ravi Kumar Arjuna Award Male
2012 Ngangbam Soniya Chanu Arjuna Award Female
2014 Renu Bala Chanu Arjuna Award Female
2015 Sathish Sivalingam Arjuna Award Male
2022 Vikas Thakur Arjuna Award Male
2010 Anita Chanu Dhyan Chand Award Female
1996 Pal Singh Sandhu Dronacharya Award Male
1999 Ajay Kumar Sirohi Dronacharya Award Male
2000 Hansa Sharma Dronacharya Award Female
2018 Vijay Sharma Dronacharya Award Male

References

  1. ^ Time (27 December 2000). "'I Did What I Could For My Country'". Archived from the original on 18 November 2011.