World youth weightlifting championships

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KITG 2026: Forged In Hardship, Jharkhand’s Babulal Hembrom Lifts His Way To Glory

By IANS News March 28, 2026 • 13:30 PM View: 210

Jharkhand State Sports Promotion Society: When former Army coach Gurvinder Singh recommended that Babulal Hembrom focus solely on weightlifting instead of other sports, considering his body type, the main obstacle for the teenager from Keribanda village in Ramgarh District, Jharkhand, was securing funds to pursue the sport.

Rather than giving up, Babulal trained using bamboo sticks and iron rods at construction sites before enrolling at the Jharkhand State Sports Promotion Society coaching centre, which required him to commute 60 km daily to train under Gurvinder.

“It was a tough period for me when I took up the sport in 2018. Financially, we couldn’t afford the equipment and the kit to train, and hence I would make do with bamboo sticks and iron rods. Then I got coaching support from JSPS and my coach, and here I am,” said Babulal, who won the silver medal in the men’s 60kg category at the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 here.