Rajgir: Assam’s Aisengfa Gogoi clinched the gold medal in the 55kg weight category at the ongoing Khelo India Youth Games 2025 on Sunday by lifting a total of 183kg at the Rajgir Sports Complex. The 17-year-old has been training under coach Rahul Sharma at the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Lucknow since 2023. She surpassed the youth national record of 182kg, previously set by Koyal Bar of West Bengal during the 2024 Asian Championship in Doha, Qatar.
Last year, Aisengfa missed out on a medal at the Khelo India Youth Games held in Chennai, but this time she made a remarkable comeback. She began the snatch event with 75kg, followed by successful lifts of 79kg and 81kg. With this, she equalled the snatch record of 81kg set by Odisha’s Meena Santa at the World Youth Championship in Suva, Fiji.
Meena Santa lifted a total of 177kg (80+97) to secure the silver medal, while Andhra Pradesh’s Hema Sri Karangi claimed bronze with a total lift of 164kg (72+92).
A Khelo India athlete since 2023, Aisengfa had previously won a bronze medal at the IWLF National Weightlifting Championship held in Nagrota Bagwan, Himachal Pradesh. She had also bagged a silver medal at the Asmita Weightlifting Zonal League in Bhubaneswar with a total lift of 167kg (73+94).
Aisengfa said, “This is my first gold medal at the Khelo India Games, and I’m thankful to my coach, my parents, and especially to SAI NCOE Lucknow. I’ve been training here for the past two years. As a Khelo India athlete, I receive a monthly scholarship of ₹10,000. Initiatives like this are immensely helpful for athletes like us, allowing us to benchmark our performances at the international level. My dream is to represent India at the Olympics.”
She also shared that her father, Deepjyoti Gogoi, never competed at the state level but practised powerlifting at home, which served as her inspiration. He runs a small tent house business in Karulakalia village in Assam’s Sivasagar district, while her mother, Nabnita, is a homemaker.
Aisengfa added, “My father’s strength and training drew me towards this sport. I began weightlifting at the age of 13. I never imagined I would make a comeback after my injury and go on to win a gold medal. My next goal is to qualify for the trials of the Commonwealth Youth Championship scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad this August.”
Earlier, in the boys’ 61kg category, Punjab’s Sunil Singh won the gold medal by lifting a total of 238kg (108+130), six kilograms more than West Bengal’s Anik Modi (97+135). Jaynavaraj J. of Tamil Nadu secured bronze with a total lift of 231kg (104+127).
In the boys’ 67kg category, Maharashtra’s Yash Khandagle lifted a total of 267kg (122+145) to win gold. Assam’s Abhinav Gogoi (116+135) claimed silver, while Haryana’s Sameer Khan, who trains at NCOE Lucknow, won bronze with a total lift of 241kg (109+132).
