KIYG 2025: NCOE Lucknow's Aisengfa Gogoi breaks youth national record, clinches 55kg weightlifting gold
Rajgir (Bihar) [India], May 11 (ANI): Assam's Aisengfa Gogoi clinched the 55kg weightlifting gold with an overall lift of 183kg in the ongoing Khelo India Youth Games at the Rajgir Sports Complex here on Sunday. The 17-year-old, who trains at Sports Authority of India's (SAI) National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Lucknow since 2023 under coach Rahul Sharma, shattered the youth national record for overall lift of 182kg created by Koyel Bar of West Bengal at the 2024 Asian Championships in Doha, Qatar, last December.
Aisengfa, who had missed out on a medal in the Khelo India Youth Games in Chennai last year, began her campaign with a 75kg lift in snatch, followed by clean lifts of 79kg and 81kg.
En route, Aisengfa equalled the snatch record of Mina Santa of Odisha at 81kg, which she had created at the World Youth Championship in Suva, Fiji, last year. In Rajgir on Sunday, Mina settled for a silver medal with a total lift of 177kg (80+97), and Andhra Pradesh's Hema Sri Karangi took home the bronze medal with an overall lift of 164kg (72+92).
A Khelo India athlete since 2023, Aisengfa Gogoi had secured the bronze medal at the IWLF National Weightlifting Championships last year in Nagrota Bagwan, Himachal Pradesh. She had also won a silver in the ASMITA Weightlifting Zonal League in Bhubaneswar last year with a total lift of 167kg (73+94).
'This is my first gold in Khelo India, so I want to thank my coach, parents, and SAI NCOE Lucknow especially for helping me improve my skills and technique. I have been training at the Lucknow centre since last two years. I am also a Khelo India Athlete (KIA) that offers a monthly stipend of Rs 10,000. Initiatives like Khelo India are very important for athletes like me to assess my performance and compare it with international benchmarks. I ultimately want to represent India in the Olympic Games,' Aisengfa told SAI Media.
Taking a cue from her father, Deepjyoti Gogoi, who used to practice powerlifting, Aisengfa began lifting weights at the age of 13. Deepjyoti runs a small tent house business in her hometown, Karulakalia, in the Sibsagar district of Assam, and her mother, Nabanita, is a housewife.
'He didn't play for the state but used to do powerlifting at home. That prompted me to take up the sport. I always wanted to be strong like him. I didn't expect to win the medal as I am coming back from a small injury. My target this year is to qualify for the Commonwealth Youth Championships later this year through the selection trials,' she added.
Earlier, Sunil Singh of Punjab clinched the boys' 61kg gold by lifting a total of 238kg (108+130), six kilograms higher than his nearest rival Anik Modi of West Bengal (97+135). Tamil Nadu's Jayanovaraj J. took the bronze with a total lift of 231kg (104+127).
In the boys 67kg, Yash Khandagale of Maharashtra lifted overall 267kg (122+145) to capture the gold medal with a 16kg margin over closest competitor Abhinob Gogoi of Assam (116+135). Haryana's Samir Khan, another NCOE Lucknow athlete, clinched the bronze medal with a total lift of 241kg (109+132). (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
TOI Exclusive: 'Winning means more than stats and milestones' - Sai Sudharsan ready for his biggest test in England
Ahead of the Tests against England, Sai Sudharsan tells TOI that more than averages & personal goals, for him it's about 'improving as a batter across formats' & contributing to the team's cause. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now .. It's been a crazy last few days for Sai Sudharsan. The 23-year-old left-hander was brilliant for Gujarat Titans in the , but his Orange Cap-winning effort as the highest run-getter was not enough to take his franchise to the final. There was no time to brood as Sai had to prepare for the biggest assignment of his career so far — the England Test tour. The form he has been in, it's almost a certainty that he'll be part of a newlook playing XI. Excerpts from an exclusive interview... Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. You're going to England on the back of a stupendously successful IPL. What has been the secret of your success? It's about trying to be consistent every day. It's not about the results, not about how the season went. Everyday I have to be consistent enough so that I can replicate the performances. I played a couple of seasons of IPL before and having the experience of doing it on this stage helped me. Your batting has an element of classical beauty. Yet, you also have the ability to score at a fantastic strike rate. How can you be so easy on the eye yet be so destructive? My only aim is to bat according to the merit of the ball. I try not to predetermine and ensure that I don't miss out on too many deliveries. I look to manage the good balls delivered by the bowlers so that I don't get stuck. Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy Scoring runs off good balls is one of your best traits... Tired of too many ads? go ad free now I'm not exactly sure, I just keep trying. If runs come off good balls, there is never a desperate situation where I have to play extravagant shots to come out of jail. You have had a brilliant partnership with Shubman Gill in GT. Now he is your India Test captain... I've had a lot of partnerships with him in the past three, four years. It's been fantastic. Playing with him, I've learnt a lot on the tactical front and his ability to stay calm and relaxed. I've learnt a lot in terms of mindset and always look up to him and try to have a lot of conversations. I'm enjoying the chemistry that we have. It works even better because we are kind of similar batters who run really hard, who make use of the good balls really well and play orthodox cricket. Both of us try to be consistent and replicate what we are doing as many times as possible. What are the areas of your game which have improved after interacting so closely with Gill? The biggest thing is the mindset, self belief and the trust that he has in his ability. I've seen how he manages himself when he's not getting runs — that understanding of the game and life to maintain consistency. Then there are technical discussions as well which are also helpful. How difficult is the transition in such a short time from IPL to Tests? There are quite a few changes. T20 has its own demands. It's more of a mindset shift and awareness of what you have to focus more on. It's about working on the basics to deal with the swing and seam movement. It's important to be patient and play long and I'll try to do that. Sai Sudharsan: 'County stints reminded me that basics are most important part of batting' You've been opening in the IPL but there's a lot of talk about you being the new No. 3 in Tests, with Shubman coming in to bat at No. 4... Wherever the team tells me to play, I'll be ready. There's nothing more special than playing for the country. I've always played in the top order for my state, but it's absolutely the team's call. I'm happy just to play for India. What are your personal targets from the England series? Your first-class average is below 40, does that bother you? I don't look at my averages. It's not about personal goals, it's about things that you can do for the team so that we can win. For me, winning means more than statistics and milestones. The idea is to improve as a batter in all formats. I have not won much in red-ball cricket barring some Ranji games. Winning matches have been special because it happens over a longer period. You know you have sustained your hard work for a longer period of time and getting the reward for that is beautiful. You've also played county cricket for Surrey. Will that help in England? I've been there. I've played six or seven games and know what to expect, so it'll definitely make a big difference. When I practised the last few days, I looked back at my journal and checked the notes that I had taken during my county stint. Sai Sudharsan's T20 Evolution: Where skill meets science | TOI Sports Exclusive Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are retired and you're projected as a 'generational talent'. Is this tag an extra burden? (Laughs) Well, I haven't heard of it anywhere. I'm not looking at it in that way, I am just trying to be myself and be prepared for whatever situation or challenge that comes in front. Of course, these are very big shoes to fill, but I am just looking to give my best, work as hard as possible, win the series and create lovely memories for my country. Did you get a chance to talk to Virat Kohli during the IPL or after the final and did you take some tips? I just congratulated him after the final, it was a very special moment for him. But I've had a lot of conversations in previous years. What I've always admired about him is his mindset — the obsession that he has for the sport. I have spoken with him regarding those and how dealt with situations when he was not getting a lot of runs and finding it difficult. I think, as a cricketer, those are the times that you learn most, so I had conversations about that. Indian batting is going through a transition phase and you are one of the leading faces. The England bowling unit, too, is going through a transition... I can't say about England, but from the Indian team's point of view, it's a phase of transition. There are quite a few new faces in our team. I think it's an opportunity for us to showcase our talent and give our best. The important thing is to learn so that we improve from that and keep playing this sport at our best for a long time. I don't treat it as pressure. I think of it as a beautiful opportunity to give my best. Who are your idols? When I was younger, I looked up to Washington Sundar. He was the biggest player I knew at that stage and tried to follow his footsteps. During lockdown, I used to watch a lot of Virat Kohli's batting and listened to his interviews. Then when I started playing for India, I started watching Justin Langer and Mike Hussey and learned as much as I could. But to start with, I think it's my dad (Bhardwaj), who was also an international sprinter, who was my hero. I got my inspiration and hunger to succeed from him. n Shubman Gill story: From a remote village near the border to India's Test captain Do you maintain your own journal? Yes, I love writing a lot. I write a lot of things specifically about cricket — more about batting, about game awareness, about things that I have learnt and where I can get better. When I was young, my parents, who are also athletes, taught me this habit of writing. They told me to jot things down, the little details in practice, the things that I've learnt. These are more like reflections of the practice session or the games, and when I developed this habit, I loved doing it. You are obsessed with your fitness... My fitness obsession changed almost everything in my career. I was a bit fat when I was young but I realized that it's very difficult to excel and express your skill sets if you're not in the right shape. At that point, I started working on fitness that much more. Was there a tipping point in your career when you decided to go hard on your fitness? Yes, definitely. When I was playing U-19s, I got dropped from the Tamil Nadu team. That snub was a big turning point because it hit me really hard. It was a big moment for me and I realised that a lot of things have to change. I changed my food habits, I changed my training, I changed the way I trained. Having made those changes, I went on to play for India A that year.
India Gazette
4 hours ago
- India Gazette
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami plants tree in Pant Park; participates in Swachhata Abhiyan
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 7 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami planted a tree in Pant Park this morning during his stay in Nainital and administered the oath. The Chief Minister also participated in cleaning activities under the Swachhata Abhiyan. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday reached Nainital on his two-day visit. On the first day of his stay, he inspected the beautification and redevelopment works going on at Mallital at a cost of Rs 1,101 crore under the Manaskhand Mandir Mala Yojana. Under this scheme, 12 new shops are being developed, which were also inaugurated. On this occasion Chief Minister Dhami announced: work will be done to improve the Dhunighat and Ratighat footpath; Shahid Sanjay Bisht Motor Road (Kainchi-Hartapa-Hailimotor Road to Titoli) will be upgraded and improve; sections of State Highway No. 71 (Ramnagar-Bhandarpani-Amgari-Bhaurakot-Betalghat-Bhujan Richi-Billekh) will be strengthened; DSA ground will be developed as a model sports center for national level sports competitions and training; alternative parking will be constructed in Nainital; hockey turf and boxing ring will be built in the flats ground; flats ground will be used only for sports and cultural events, other commercial activities will be prohibited; Nainital bus stand complex will be redeveloped through lightweight structure to increase public transport facility and reduce traffic jam. The CM also announced that water lakes will be reduced by conducting a road safety survey of main sites, and a vending zone will be constructed for local vendors. Desilting of Naini Lake will also be done, and the railing will be replaced. The Chief Minister inaugurated the basketball court at DSA ground, distributed sports kits to the players, met the district's medal-winning players, and honoured them. During this, in the felicitation ceremony organised, the Chief Minister honoured the medal winners of Nainital district in the 38th National Games 2025 Uttarakhand and international level medal winning players - Latika Bhandari, Bhumika Jantwal, Nitesh Bisht, Nirmal Bisht, Ansh Bisht, Kanishka Joshi, Surya Patel, Bhagravi Rawat, Shraddha Joshi, Komal, Nvya Pandey, Vaibhav Singh Padiyar, SDM Nawazish Khaliq and other players. Apart from this, the participants of the late N.K. Arya Smriti Cricket Tournament were honoured with prizes. In his address, the Chief Minister said that the work on sewer lines and STP is in progress in Nainital. Given the increasing number of tourists, automatic parking has been approved to overcome the parking problem. Soon, the expansion of Ashok Parking and the construction of Metro Parking will also start, for which permission has been received from the Central Government. He said that the beautification of Maa Naina Devi Temple is going on under the Manaskhand Corridor. Improvement of DSA ground and landslide protection work on Valia Nala and Thandi Road is also being done at a fast pace. Volleyball track has been inaugurated here at the demand of children. An amount of Rs 12 crore is being given for the beautification of Maa Naina Devi Temple, and if required, this work will also be taken forward. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that with these development works, the local people and tourists will get better facilities and smooth traffic, due to which the development of Nainital will gain more momentum. The Chief Minister said that the state government will soon implement the Sports Legacy Plan, under which 23 sports academies will be established in eight major cities. These academies will provide high-level training for hundreds of players every informed us that the state's first sports university is being established in Haldwani, and a women's sports college is being established in Lohaghat. (ANI)
India Gazette
4 hours ago
- India Gazette
"India is getting many new and good players...": Norway Chess women's champion Anna Muzychuk
Stavanger [Norway], June 7 (ANI): Ukrainian Grandmaster Anna Muzychuk, who secured the women's title at Norway Chess, spoke on her victory and opened on playing Indian chess legend Koneru Humpy as a child. Anna secured her maiden Norway Chess title, drawing in both classical and armageddon against Grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu, but it was still enough for her to seal the win with a total of 16.5 points, as per At the second spot was Lei Tingjie with 16 points while Humpy finished third with 15 points. With 11 points, Vaishali finished in fifth position. Speaking to ANI, Muzychuk said that, 'I am very happy. This tournament and this win mean a lot, and I think it is a great success.' On India's progress as a chess nation, Muzychuk said that while India is getting plenty of great players from the new generation, the older generation is still around and doing well. 'India is getting many new and good players from the new generation, but also from the older, like, Koneru Humpy. I played my first game with Koneru when I was seven years old and she was 10. It was 28 years ago... India is doing great in women's and men's competitions, and I think we will have many more players coming. It will always be challenging to play against them,' she concluded. Humpy, who finished third, did not beat grandmaster Ju Wenjun in the classical, but won the armageddon game, as per However, it was not enough for her to get the title. (ANI)
