Bikaner, Nov 26 Golom Tinku on Tuesday added another feather to his fledgling career by winning the gold medal in the men’s 60kg weight category at the Khelo India University Games, Rajasthan 2025 here.
The 19-year-old from Arunachal Pradesh first made his mark in the second edition of the Khelo India Youth Games in Pune and has never looked back. Representing Lovely Professional University (LPU), Golom has lifted a total of 256kg (Snatch 112kg; C&J 144kg) to clinch the gold medal.
He lifted a total of 33kg more than his closest competitor Khumbheswar Mallik of Chandigarh University (223kg), while bronze medallist Sachin of CT University could only manage to lift a total of 214kg.
But Golom’s journey until he was recognised at the Khelo India Youth Games was anything but easy. The 19-year-old had just begun learning the basics of weightlifting when he lost his father in 2016 to a tragic accident at their Godak village home in Kamle district of Arunachal Pradesh.
Golom, the third of five siblings, was inspired by his elder brother and sister, and initially trained at the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) Naharlagun campus for three years before moving to the AOC centre in Secunderabad.
“My sister used to do karate there, and my elder brother played badminton. So, I started accompanying them just to watch. One day one of the coaches asked me if I wanted to try weightlifting,” he told SAI Media after winning the gold medal.
Within months, Golom’s career experienced a sudden rise as the youngster broke records and dominated competitions at the state level. However, the loss of their father, who died after falling from a tree, affected the family’s finances, and his elder brother had to end his badminton career to support the family.
But Golom continued to work hard and won a bronze medal in his first Khelo India Youth Games appearance in Pune. He then went on to secure the gold medal at the Guwahati edition of KIYG before setting his sights on international competitions.
Golom, a Khelo India athlete, has so far secured three medals (one silver and two bronze) at the Asian championships, in addition to winning gold with a total lift of 230 kg at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship 2023.
Currently training at the Army Sports Institute in Pune, Golom believes that the KIUG 2025 was another box he wished to tick before the upcoming senior nationals. “This was my first Khelo India University Games, and to win the gold is always special. But the job is far from done,” he added.
Golom, who secured a bronze medal at the IWF World Youth Championship held in Durres, Albania in March 2023, also acknowledged the financial backing from the Khelo India scheme for supporting his training needs. He believes the scheme has motivated young people from the most remote areas to take sports seriously.
The Khelo India initiative has transformed many careers; some had the chance to shine on the national stage for the first time, while others saw their careers flourish thanks to the financial support they received over the years.
(Auto generated news from IANS Feed. This has not been edited by enewstime desk)
