Weightlifting in Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Verified profileAchievements, tournaments, coaches and scholarships on this page are compiled from federation and government sources (IWLF, IWF).

Overview

Governing body: IWLF
Origin: Ancient
Olympic discipline: Yes
Category: Strength
Total players listed: …

Weightlifting is one of India's most-followed disciplines. The IWLF oversees national federation activity, talent identification and Olympic qualification pathways. Major support flows in through TOPS and Khelo India for athletes who clear federation benchmarks.

Weightlifting is a recognised Olympic discipline, which shapes the entire high-performance pipeline in India. Athletes who break into the senior national camp become eligible for the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), which funds international training stints, foreign coaches, sports science support, equipment and travel for ranking events. Below the senior tier, the Khelo India Youth Games, University Games and Winter Games act as the country's largest scouting net, feeding talent into the Khelo India Talent Development scheme where annual stipends, boarding and dedicated coaching are provided at SAI National Centres of Excellence and accredited academies. The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports tracks every selected athlete's progress against published benchmarks, and underperformance can mean a drop from the scheme — the pathway is rigorous by design.

Strength sports in India have a long lineage rooted in akhara culture, and the modern federation structure under the IWLF now sits on top of that base. Selection for international events follows weight categories and the totals achieved at national championships, with the senior nationals doubling as a Commonwealth and Asian championships trial in most years. Coaching, periodisation and anti-doping education have improved substantially with TOPS and SAI support, and strength training is increasingly part of every Olympic-sport athlete's preparation as well.

At the grassroots, the route into Weightlifting typically starts at school under the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), at the inter-university level under the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), or through a private academy registered with the state association. The Khelo India Youth Games and Khelo India University Games are the largest single discovery platforms — athletes who reach the podium at these events become eligible for the Khelo India Talent Development scheme, which funds boarding, coaching, kit, education and a monthly stipend at accredited centres. State sports awards and central government jobs under the sports quota remain a powerful incentive for athletes from smaller towns.

Weightlifting originated in Ancient, and in India it has developed a distinct character shaped by the country's geography, demographics and sporting culture. Whether you want to compete, coach, sponsor, write about or simply follow Weightlifting, the practical starting point is the same: connect with your state association under the IWLF, identify the nearest SAI centre or accredited academy, and track the Khelo India and federation calendars for the events that decide selection at every level. Mirabai Chanu's Tokyo silver inspired a new generation.

History

How weightlifting evolved globally and took root in India.

Weightlifting traces its modern origins to Ancient. Codified rules, standard equipment and international competition took shape as the sport spread beyond its birthplace, and IWLF is the body that carried it into organised Indian competition.

In India, weightlifting grew through princely-state patronage, defence-service teams, universities and state associations. Post-independence, the discipline was formalised under IWLF, national championships were instituted, and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) later brought it into the centralised high-performance system with dedicated centres, coaching cadres and sports-science support.

Weightlifting being on the Olympic programme reshaped its Indian pathway: Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) selection, Khelo India Talent Development stipends and international training stints became the norm for the country's leading athletes.

Indian Achievements

Verified Olympic, World, Asian and Commonwealth milestones for India in weightlifting.

Karnam Malleswari — Olympic Bronze, Sydney 2000 (first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal).
Mirabai Chanu — Olympic Silver, Tokyo 2020; World Champion 2017 (49kg).
Mirabai Chanu — Commonwealth Games Gold 2018, 2022.
Multiple Commonwealth Games golds through the 2000s–2020s across weight categories (Kunjarani Devi, Sathish Sivalingam, Jeremy Lalrinnunga).
Jeremy Lalrinnunga — Commonwealth Games Gold 2022; Youth Olympic Gold 2018.

Famous Indian Players

Landmark weightlifting names from India, past and present.

Mirabai Chanu
Olympic silver Tokyo 2020; World Champion 2017.
Karnam Malleswari
Sydney 2000 bronze; first Indian woman Olympic medallist.
Jeremy Lalrinnunga
CWG gold 2022; Youth Olympic gold 2018.
Sathish Sivalingam
Two-time CWG gold medallist (2014, 2018).
Ragala Venkat Rahul
CWG gold 2018 in 85kg.
Kunjarani Devi
9-time World Championship medallist and CWG gold winner.

Notable Coaches

Head coaches and mentors behind India's leading weightlifting results.

Vijay Sharma
Chief National Coach; Mirabai Chanu's coach; Dronacharya awardee.
Kunjarani Devi (as mentor)
Long-time mentor to Manipuri lifters.
Aaron Horschig (biomechanics consultant)
Worked with India's TOPS lifters on strength and biomechanics.

All coaches directory →

Scholarships & Funding

Central, state and private scholarships available for weightlifting athletes in India.

SAI NCoE Weightlifting (Aurangabad, Patiala, Imphal)
National Centre of Excellence scholarships with boarding and stipend.
Manipur Government scholarships
State cash awards and stipend for Manipuri weightlifters (Mirabai Chanu's home state).
Khelo India Talent Development Scheme (KISCE)
Monthly stipend (₹10,000 for Khelo India athletes), boarding, coaching and kit at accredited centres for identified weightlifting talent (Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports).
Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)
Central government scheme covering training, foreign exposure, equipment and out-of-pocket allowance (up to ₹50,000/month) for medal-prospect weightlifting athletes; administered by the Mission Olympic Cell.
National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports fund used to sponsor elite weightlifting athletes' training, foreign coaches and equipment.

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Indian Players

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Saikhom Mirabai ChanuManipur
Olympic silver medallist and former world champion in 49kg.

Browse the full athlete directory →

Rules

Competitors attempt maximum single lifts across two disciplines: the snatch (bar lifted overhead in one continuous motion) and the clean and jerk (bar brought to the shoulders, then driven overhead). Each lifter gets three attempts per discipline; the best successful snatch and clean & jerk are combined for total score, within a bodyweight category.

Authoritative rulebook: IWLF. Age-group and school-level variations are published by SGFI and the state associations each season.

Positions

Key roles, events or positions inside a weightlifting squad or competition.

Snatch
Single-movement lift from floor to overhead — Olympic weightlifting event.
Clean & jerk
Two-stage lift to the shoulders then overhead — Olympic weightlifting event.
Squat / bench / deadlift
The three powerlifting disciplines contested by weight class.

Equipment

Standard kit and infrastructure required to train and compete in weightlifting at a federation-recognised event.

Olympic barbell and weight plates
Weightlifting platform
Lifting shoes (raised heel)
Weightlifting belt and wrist wraps

Governing body

National federation

IWLF

IWLF is the recognised national body for Weightlifting in India. It sets the domestic calendar, selection norms, coaching curriculum and anti-doping compliance, and is affiliated to the international federation for weightlifting. State associations under IWLF run age-group competition and feed the national talent pipeline.

Origin: Ancient
Olympic: Yes
Category: Strength

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Major Indian Events

Domestic championships, Khelo India events, National Games and franchise leagues that shape the weightlifting calendar in India.

Senior National Weightlifting Championship
IWLF's flagship national — main international selection trial.
Youth / Junior National Championships
IWLF age-group nationals feeding U-17, U-20 world events.
Khelo India Youth Games — Weightlifting
Talent-scouting platform for Khelo India Talent Development.
Federation Cup Weightlifting
IWLF's selection trial event.

International Events

Continental and world-level competitions where India competes in weightlifting.

Olympic Games (Weightlifting)
Men's and women's Olympic weight categories decided each cycle by IWF and IOC.
IWF World Weightlifting Championships
Annual senior world championship.
Asian Games / Asian Championships
Continental championships — direct Olympic qualification points.
Commonwealth Games
India's most consistent weightlifting medal event.
IWF World Cup
Ranking event tied to Olympic qualification.

Leagues

No dedicated professional league is currently catalogued for weightlifting. The national championship under IWLF remains the top domestic competition.

All leagues →

International Players

Globally recognised weightlifting athletes to know outside India.

China
Historically dominant across men's and women's Olympic weightlifting.
Lasha Talakhadze (Georgia)
Multi-time Olympic and World super-heavyweight champion.
Li Wenwen (China)
Olympic super-heavyweight weightlifting champion.
North Korea / DPR Korea
Consistent Olympic and World medallists in lighter categories.

Records

Where to find India's official weightlifting record book.

Olympic medalsTracked
Individual and team Olympic medals for India in weightlifting are logged on the official IOC and IOA archives.
Asian Games medalsTracked
India's Asian Games results in weightlifting are compiled by the Indian Olympic Association and the IWLF.
Commonwealth medalsTracked
Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Championship medals in weightlifting are maintained by the IWLF.
World Championship medalsTracked
Senior, junior and youth World Championship medal records are held by the international federation for weightlifting and mirrored by IWLF.
National record holdersFederation register
IWLF publishes the current senior, junior and sub-junior national records and updates them after every ratified event.

Career Options

Ways to build a career in weightlifting — on the field, on the sidelines and behind the scenes.

TOPS-supported international lifter
IWLF / IWF-certified coach and technical official
Strength & conditioning coach for other sports
Sports quota jobs — Railways, Manipur / Andhra Pradesh state services, Indian Army
Gym owner and equipment specialist
Anti-doping education officer

Explore sports careers →Coaches directory →

Related academies

9 listed

SAI National Centre of Excellence, BengaluruElite
Bengaluru, Karnataka · Since 1991
Sports Authority of India's flagship southern training centre.
Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, PatialaElite
Patiala, Punjab · Since 1961
Asia's largest sports institute and SAI's flagship coach-education and training campus.
SAI North-East Regional Centre, ImphalNational
Imphal, Manipur · Since 1985
Northeast's premier residential centre for combat sports and weightlifting.
Army Sports InstituteElite
Pune, Maharashtra · Since 2001
Indian Army's elite multi-sport institute producing Olympians and Asian Games medallists.
Mizoram State Weightlifting AcademyState
Aizawl, Mizoram · Since 2010
Northeast weightlifting academy with national-team pipeline.
Tamil Nadu State Weightlifting AcademyState
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Since 2006
Tamil Nadu's central weightlifting academy producing national champions.
Andhra Pradesh Weightlifting AcademyState
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh · Since 2009
Andhra's central residential academy for Olympic weightlifting.
Karnam Malleswari Weightlifting CentreNational
Hyderabad, Telangana · Since 2016
Centre run by India's first woman Olympic medallist Karnam Malleswari.
Mirabai Chanu Weightlifting AcademyNational
Imphal, Manipur · Since 2023
Imphal academy founded by Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu.

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Government Schemes

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Central and state schemes that fund training, stipends and awards for weightlifting athletes and academies.

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FAQs

Common questions about weightlifting in India.

Who governs weightlifting in India?▾

The Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF), affiliated to the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) and the Asian Weightlifting Federation.

Who was India's first woman Olympic medallist?▾

Karnam Malleswari — bronze in 69kg weightlifting at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

What are the current Olympic weight categories?▾

The IWF and IOC finalise the categories each cycle; Paris 2024 had 5 men's and 5 women's Olympic weight categories.

Where do India's top weightlifters train?▾

SAI NCoE Aurangabad, Patiala, Imphal (Manipur) and the Inspire Institute of Sport.

Weightlifting in every state & UT

Dedicated pages for Weightlifting in each Indian state and Union Territory — academies, schemes, athletes and how to start.

Weightlifting