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Started Weightlifting 6 Years Ago, Harshada Sharad Garud Now Wins Junior Weightlifting Title

The 2020 Khelo India Youth Games under-17 girls' title winner started weightlifting only six years ago as a 12-year-old after receiving encouragement from her father, Sharad Garud, who was also a state-level weightlifter.

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Teenager Harshada Sharad Garud became India's first weightlifter to win a gold medal on May 2 at the IWF Junior World Championships in Greece's Heraklion. The 18-year-old Harshada secured the gold medal with a total effort of 153kg (70kg+83kg) in the women's 45kg category, which opened the account for India on day one of the championships.

The 70kg snatch effort earned the youngster a top-of-the-podium finish while she remained second-best in the clean and jerk event, behind Bektas Cansu(85kg) from Turkey, who bagged a silver medal with a total effort of 150kg (65kg+85 kg).

"I am so happy, I can't comprehend what's happening, I am struggling to express my happiness right now. It will take some time to sink in," Harshada was quoted as saying by the Times Of India.

The 2020 Khelo India Youth Games under-17 girls' title winner started weightlifting only six years ago as a 12-year-old after receiving encouragement from her father, Sharad Garud, who was also a state-level weightlifter.

"I never thought of doing anything else. My father was a state-level weightlifter. Although I never saw him in action, I always heard his stories and stories about him," she added.

Harshada Sharad Garud's Journey!

Right before the start of the world event, Harshada and the rest of the contingent from India for the junior world championship had trained at Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala for a month.

There, these promising youngsters also got to meet with senior weightlifters, including Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu.

Harshada had managed to pull off clean lifts in Greece in all six attempts and was the only athlete to achieve the feat in the eight-lifter field. Hincu Teodora-Luminita of Moldova bagged the bronze 149kg (67kg+82kg) in the non-Olympic category.

The other Indian in the field, Anjali Patel finished fifth overall with a total effort of 148kg (67kg+81kg).

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Writer : Snehadri Sarkar
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Editor : Shiva Chaudhary
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Creatives : Snehadri Sarkar

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