Bhubaneswar: India’s young weightlifting sensation Priteesmita Bhoi from Odisha has brought glory to the nation by setting a new world youth record in the clean and jerk event at the Youth Asian Games on Sunday. The 16-year-old clinched the gold medal in the girls’ 44kg category with a total lift of 158kg-- 66kg in snatch and 92kg in clean and jerk.

Priteesmita began her clean and jerk attempts with a confident lift of 87kg, followed by 90kg, before successfully hoisting 92kg to rewrite the world youth record. In the snatch section, she managed 66kg but missed her next two tries at 68kg and 69kg.

China’s Wu Jihong finished second with a total of 156kg (68kg snatch and 88kg clean & jerk), while Vietnam’s Dao Thi Yen settled for bronze with 141kg.

A journey of grit and resilience

Born in Dhenkanal district of Odisha, Priteesmita’s rise to fame is a story of determination and hard work. She lost her father when she was just two years old and was raised, along with her sister, by her mother under challenging circumstances.

Her sporting journey took a decisive turn when coach Gopal Das spotted the sisters participating in track and field events at Kendriya Vidyalaya. Seeing their athletic potential, he persuaded their mother to let them take up weightlifting.

Das’s belief soon proved right. Priteesmita began to dominate the youth weightlifting circuit with record-breaking performances.

At the 2024 Youth World Weightlifting Championships, she had already made headlines by setting a world record in the clean and jerk to win gold in the 40kg category. Earlier this year, she also bagged the gold medal in the 44kg category at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships.

With her latest feat at the Youth Asian Games, Priteesmita Bhoi has reaffirmed her position as one of the brightest young talents in Indian weightlifting.