Weightlifter K Ravi Kumar, who won gold in the Commonwealth Games, was scheduled to arrive at Jyoshna Sabar’s hamlet at around eleven a.m. a few months ago. However, by that evening, he was still unable to navigate this steep, forested area of Odisha close to the Andhra border. It wasn’t exactly safe to drive on the road either.
Luckily, he saw Jyoshna’s grandfather, who led the way to Jyoshna’s house in Pekata, Gajapati district. The village is so far away from the nearest bus station that it would take many hours to get there on foot.
From a modest background, the 15-year-old daughter of a homemaker and part-time farmer has climbed to become one of India’s top junior weightlifters. She broke the national snatch record en route to earning the gold medal in the 40kg division at the 6th Khelo India Youth Games in Chennai, after taking home the bronze at the World Youth Championships in Albania the previous year.
Jyoshna achieved a new national record of 60 kg in the Snatch and 70 kg in the Clean and Jerk, out of a total of 130 kg lifted.
The goal was to break the Snatch, Clean, Jerk, and Total records. Sadly, she was unsuccessful in her attempt at jerk; else, we would have broken both jerk and total. Coach Ravi stated, “She is upset and keeps claiming that she hasn’t been able to meet her goal.
The reserved Jyoshna is still becoming more exposed to a world that was unknown to her until a few years ago. She comes from a very lowly and isolated family. She didn’t start learning more about the globe until she traveled for the globe Championships a few months ago. She doesn’t say much. We handle her as though she were a delicate flower as she becomes afraid if you say anything to her.
Although Jyoshna’s parents are completely unaware of her sport, they have become accustomed to her receiving medals, scholarships, and rewards. “They don’t know anything about weightlifting, even though their daughter won a medal at the World Championships. Coach Ravi stated, “But they are proud of their daughter.”
Coach Ramesh Chandra Pandhi saw Jyoshna’s potential at the nonprofit Gram Vikas School in Kankia, a residential facility for impoverished kids located roughly 90 kilometers from Pekata. She was then chosen to attend the Kalinga Institute’s Tenvic High Performance Centre in Bhubaneswar, where she is a tenth grade student.
She has become a major inspiration for many kids back in Pekata and Kankia.
