Last Updated:
PM Narendra Modi praised 16-year-old Harshvardhan Sahu from Odisha for setting two national records at the Khelo India Youth Games 2025, lifting a total of 203 kg.
PM Narendra Modi (Image: PMO/PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday commended a 16-year-old weightlifter from Odisha who set two new national records at the recently concluded Khelo India Youth Games 2025 in Bihar.
“The exceptional performances by Asmita Dhone from Maharashtra, Harshvardhan Sahu from Odisha, and Tushar Chaudhary from Uttar Pradesh in the weightlifting competition have won everyone’s hearts,” Modi said during the 122nd edition of his monthly radio address ‘Mann Ki Baat’ aired on Sunday.
“I was very surprised when our Prime Minister mentioned my name along with other Khelo India participants in his Mann Ki Baat address,” said Sahu, who is currently training at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS) in Patiala.
“His address has encouraged me, and I will strive to perform even better in upcoming events. I am grateful to him,” he added.
A resident of Haradakhandi in Berhampur town, Harshvardhan won a gold medal and set new records at the 7th Khelo India Youth Games (under 18) held in Bihar from May 4 to 15.
In the 49-kg category, Harshvardhan lifted 88 kg in snatch and a record-breaking 115 kg in clean and jerk, totaling 203 kg. He surpassed the previous record of 202 kg set by Jharkhand’s Babulal Hembrom.
Before participating in Khelo India, he had won a bronze medal by lifting 197 kg (snatch 87 kg, clean and jerk 110 kg) at the World Youth Championships held in Lima, Peru.
Harshvardhan comes from a middle-class family, with his father running a small business. He trained at the Army Sports Institute (ASI) in Pune before shifting to NSNIS.
Young weightlifters in the country, particularly in Odisha, will be inspired by the Prime Minister’s mention of these young weightlifting prodigies, including Harshvardhan,” said K Ravi Kumar, an Arjuna award-winning weightlifter.
Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, state minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, and several MLAs from the Ganjam district thanked the Prime Minister for mentioning Harshvardhan in ‘Mann Ki Baat’.
“We are very grateful to the Prime Minister for mentioning Harshvardhan from Berhampur,” said Jena, the state’s Commerce and Transport minister.
Berhampur has produced several renowned weightlifters who have brought fame not only to the state but also to the country, said K Anil Kumar, MLA of Berhampur.
(With PTI Inputs)
- First Published: