Future champions ensure Khel Vikas receives a good lift

The first edition of Khel Vikas Inter-Club Weightlifting Tournament came to a successful end last Saturday at Berhampur city's historic sports club, Beer Hanuman, a grooming ground for budding weightlifters in the region. A number of youth participating in the competition hit their personal best.

Beer Hanuman Club and the newly-formed Khel Vikas Weightlifting Academy dominated the contest on the final day of a two-day competition, winning the maximum number of medals on offer.

Tournament praise
International weightlifter and winner of one of India's highest sporting honours, Bijay Kumar Satpathy, praised the tournament's format and said that it was a great way to level the playing field for junior and senior lifters. "A junior finishing ahead of his senior peer in this format will gain a lot of confidence. On the other hand, for a senior, his pride is at stake. All in all, a very good format to induce healthy competition," he said. Mr Satpathy, who is from Berhampur, started his career at Beer Hanuman Club.

P4SS co-founder Suheil Tandon said that the tournament's success story is a shining example of how sport can foster development. "This was our first time holding such a tournament. The results were amazing. So many youth improving on their personal best is a very satisfying outcome for our work and efforts."

The tournament's format motivated participants to compete against themselves, not against others. The tournament received overwhelming support from the regional sporting community, including the Odisha Weightlifting Association and the national retail chain 'V2' who sponsored the event.

Tournament Background
The tournament was designed to help young lifters improve their sporting careers. It followed a non-classical competition format where there were no weight categories or age categories. Each weightlifter was assessed on how much he could lift compared to his fellow competitors.


[This article has been edited by the Operating Team.]