Overview
- Origin
- Ancient
- Category
- Strength
- Olympic discipline
- Yes
- Paralympic discipline
- No
- Central pathway
- Olympic (TOPS eligible)
- Athlete profiles on SportSupport
- 78
Governance and status
Each field below is shown only where we hold a source for it; anything else reads “Not currently verified” rather than a guess. Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition is granted year by year, so it is only ever shown with the year it applies to. Last reviewed: September 2026.
- Indian governing/organising body
- IWLF
- Ministry recognition
- Indian Weightlifting Federation — Annual recognition renewed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports — as at 2026Source: Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports — List of recognised National Sports Federations
- International federation
- Not currently verified
- Khelo India inclusion
- On the official Khelo India Games discipline list as "Weightlifting"Source: Sports Authority of India / Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports — Discipline wise Participation in all editions of Khelo India Games (19th Edition) (2026-08-29)
- TOPS eligibility
- In scope — TOPS covers Olympic medal prospects
- Olympic status
- On the Olympic programme
- Paralympic status
- Not a Paralympic discipline
Weightlifting is listed on SportSupport in the strength category. Its recorded origin is Ancient. It is on the Olympic programme. We list IWLF as the Indian governing/organising body for the sport.
Mirabai Chanu's Tokyo silver inspired a new generation.
Weightlifting is on the pathway that runs through India's national sports federations to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), with selection running through IWLF against its published benchmarks. Being on this pathway is not itself a statement that the discipline is currently in TOPS — TOPS covers a Core Group and a Development Group chosen by the Mission Olympic Cell. Weightlifting appears on the official Khelo India Games discipline list as "Weightlifting", so junior talent identified by the discipline's selectors can be considered under Khelo India Talent Identification & Development (KITID). (Source: Sports Authority of India / Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports — Discipline wise Participation in all editions of Khelo India Games (19th Edition).)
Indian Achievements
Hand-reviewed Olympic, Paralympic, World, Asian and Commonwealth milestones for India in weightlifting, compiled from the sources listed on this page. Last reviewed: September 2026.
- 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 ChanuOlympic silver Tokyo 2020; World Champion 2017.
- Karnam MalleswariSydney 2000 bronze; first Indian woman Olympic medallist.
- Jeremy LalrinnungaCWG gold 2022; Youth Olympic gold 2018.
- Sathish SivalingamTwo-time CWG gold medallist (2014, 2018).
- Ragala Venkat RahulCWG gold 2018 in 85kg.
- Kunjarani Devi9-time World Championship medallist and CWG gold winner.
Notable Coaches
Head coaches and mentors behind India's leading weightlifting results.
- Vijay SharmaChief 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.
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 Identification & Development (KITID)
Monthly stipend (₹10,000 for selected Khelo India athletes), boarding, coaching and kit at accredited centres for talent identified through the Khelo India selection process (Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports). Applies only to disciplines on the official Khelo India Games list, and only to athletes it selects.
- Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)
Central government scheme covering training, foreign exposure, equipment and an out-of-pocket allowance (up to ₹50,000/month) for athletes inducted by the Mission Olympic Cell. TOPS covers a Core Group and a Development Group of disciplines rather than every Olympic sport, and induction is decided athlete by athlete; we hold no current list confirming whether weightlifting is among the covered disciplines.
- National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports fund used to sponsor elite athletes' training, foreign coaches and equipment. Allocations are made case by case; we hold no record of NSDF support specific to weightlifting.
Indian Players
78 profiles- Saikhom Mirabai ChanuManipur
Olympic silver medallist at Tokyo 2020 in the 49kg class; world champion in 2017 in the 48kg class.
- Achinta SheuliWest Bengal
Achinta Sheuli (born 24 November 2001) is an Indian weightlifter who competes in the 73 kg weight class. At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, he set a Games record of 313 kg and won gold. He lifted 143 kg in snatch (Games Record & equal to his previous personal best) and 170 kg in clean & jerk.
- Ajay SinghRajasthan
Ajay Singh (born 17 April 1997) is an Indian weightlifter who competes in the 81 kg weight class. He is a two-time Commonwealth Championships gold medalist. Singh lifted a total of 322 kg and also set a national record in Snatch round of 146 kg in 2021 Tashkent.
- Anil MondalIndia
Anil Kumar Mondal (born 4 August 1951) is an Indian weightlifter. He competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics and the 1976 Summer Olympics. He was conferred with the Arjuna Award in the year 1972 by the Government of India.
- Arun MurugesanIndia
Arun Murugesan is an Indian weightlifter. He won the silver medal in the Men's 62 kg category at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
- Badathala AdisekharIndia
Badathala Adisekhar (born 14 April 1964) is an Indian weightlifter. He competed in the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics.
- Bijay Kumar SatpathyOdisha
Bijay Kumar Satpathy (1951 or 1952 – 22 September 2025) was an Indian weightlifter who won the silver medal in the men's Bantamweight event at 1982 Commonwealth Games. He was conferred with the Arjuna Award in the year 1981–82 by the Government of India. He died at his residence in Berhampur, Odisha, on 22 September 2025, at the age of 73.
- Bindyarani Devi SorokhaibamManipur
Bindyarani Devi Sorokhaibam (born 27 January 1999) is an Indian weightlifter.
- Chandra Sekhar SahuOdisha
Chandra Sekhar Sahu is a former Indian weightlifter who won the gold medal in the men's 75 kg event at the 1991 South Asian Games.
- Chandrakant MaliMaharashtra
Chandrakant Mali is an Indian Weightlifter, who won bronze medal in the men's 94 kg weight class at the 2014 Commonwealth Games at Glasgow, Scotland.
- Dandamudi RajagopalIndia
Dandamudi Rajagopal Rao (16 October 1916 – 6 August 1981) was an Indian weightlifter, bodybuilder, actor, sports administrator and coach. He won a bronze medal in the 1951 Asian Games in men's heavyweight (+90 kg) weightlifting. He represented India in the heavyweight (>90 kg) weightlifting events at both the 1948 London Olympics and the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
- Daniel Pon MonyIndia
Daniel Pon Mony (born 12 August 1921) was an Indian weightlifter. He competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics and the 1952 Summer Olympics.
- Deepak LatherIndia
Deepak Lather (born 25 March 2000), is an Indian weightlifter who won the bronze medal in the men's 69 kg weight class at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia. He is pursuing Business, India. He is the youngest person to hold an Indian national record in weightlifting.
- Deven GovindasamiIndia
Deven Govindasami (also Devan, born 5 May 1963) is an Indian weightlifter. He competed in the men's bantamweight event at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He won the gold medals in the men's 60 kg event at the 1985 and 1987 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships.
- Ekambaram KarunakaranTamil Nadu
Ekambaram Karunakaran (also Karunagaran, born 6 June 1954) is an Indian former weightlifter. He competed in the men's flyweight event at the 1980 Summer Olympics. He was the first Indian to win the gold medal in an international competition in weightlifting.
- Erra DeexithaIndia
Erra Deexitha (born 25 September 1997) is an Indian weightlifter from Mahabubabad, Telangana, who competes in the 59 kg weight class.
- Farman BashaKarnataka
Farman Basha (born 25 March 1974) is an Indian powerlifter. Basha represented India at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom. He won a bronze medal at the 2010 Asian Para Games in Guangzhou, China.
- Ganesh MaliMaharashtra
Ganesh Mali (born 14 May 1993) is an Indian weightlifter who won a bronze medal in the men's 56 kg weight class at the 2014 Commonwealth Games at Glasgow. He lives at Kolhapur city in the Maharashtra state of India.
- Geeta RaniIndia
Geeta Rani (born 16 September 1981) is an Indian weightlifter. She won the gold medal in the Women's +75 kg category at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. She won three silver medals in the Asian Championship in 2004 and a bronze medal in the 2003 Afro-Asian Games held in Hyderabad.
- Gurdeep SinghPunjab
Gurdeep Singh (born 1 October 1995) is an Indian weightlifter hailing from Khanna town of Punjab. He won the bronze medal in both Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships at 2017 Gold Coast and 2021 Tashkent. In 2018, he broke the national record in the 105+ kg category at the National Weightlifting Championships, winning the gold medal in the process.
- Gurunathan MuthuswamyIndia
Gurunathań Muthuswamy (born 21 July 1963) is an Indian weightlifter. He competed in the men's flyweight event at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
- Gururaja PoojaryKarnataka
Gururaja Poojary (born 15 August 1992), also known as P. Gururaja, is an Indian weightlifter who won the silver medal in the men's 56 kg weight class at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the bronze medal in 61 kg weight class at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
- Gyaneshwari YadavIndia
Gyaneshwari Yadav (born 8 March 2003) is an Indian weightlifter. In May 2026, she won a silver and bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships in Gandhinagar. In July 2026, she won the silver medal in the women's 53 kg category at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
- Harjinder KaurPunjab
Harjinder Kaur (born 14 October 1996) is an Indian weightlifter. She won the silver medal in the 69 kg at the 2026 Commonwealth Games and the bronze medal in the 71 kg at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
- Harshada GarudMaharashtra
Harshada Garud is a weightlifter from Maharashtra, India. At the 2022 Junior World Weightlifting Championships, she became the first Indian to win a gold medal in International Weightlifting Federation's World Juniors Weightlifting Championships.
- Jeremy LalrinnungaMizoram
Jeremy Lalrinnunga (born 26 October 2002) is an Indian weightlifter. He made history by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games, in the boys' 62 kg event at the 2018 edition. He also won gold in the men's 67 kg event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where he lifted a combined total of 300 kg, setting a new Games record.
- Jhili DalabeheraIndia
Jhilli Dalabehera (born 3 February 1999) is an Indian weightlifter from Odisha.
- Jyoshna SabarOdisha
Jyoshna Sabar (born 25 October 2008) is an Indian weightlifter. She broke the Asian Youth Record at the 2024 Asian Youth Championships, lifting a total of 135 kg in the 40 kg category.
- Kamineni Eswara RaoAndhra Pradesh
Kamineni Eswara Rao (26 August 1918 – 7 November 2007) was an Indian weightlifter from Andhra Pradesh. He was one of the early Olympians in the sport for India. Rao was born to Kamineni Pitchaiah, a farmer, and Seethama in Bhatlapenamarru village in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh on 26 August 1918.
- Karanam MalleswariAndhra Pradesh
Karnam Malleswari (born 1 June 1975) is a retired Indian weightlifter. She became the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Olympics in 2000, and was India's only medal in the 2000 Olympics. In 1994, she received the Arjuna Award and in 1999, she received the Khel Ratna award, India's highest sporting honour, and the civilian Padma Shri award.
- Kavita DeviHaryana
Kavita Dalal (born 20 September 1986) is an Indian professional wrestler who performed in the WWE, under the ring name Kavita Devi, on their developmental territory NXT between 2017 and 2021. Devi is the first female professional wrestler of Indian nationality to wrestle in WWE. Devi previously wrestled on the independent circuit under the ring names Kavita and Hard KD, most notably for Continental Wrestling Entertainment in India.
- Khumukcham Sanjita ChanuManipur
Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu (born 2 January 1994) is an Indian weightlifter. Born in Kakching Khunou, Kakching district, Manipur, she is a two time Commonwealth Games Champion. Chanu won the gold medals at the 2014 Glasgow and the 2018 Gold Coast events in the women's 48 kg and 53 kg weight category respectively.
- Kunjarani DeviManipur
Nameirakpam Kunjarani Devi (born 1 March 1966) is an Indian weightlifter. She is among the most decorated Indian sportswoman in weightlifting.
- Lovepreet SinghPunjab
Lovepreet Singh (born 6 September 1997) is an Indian weightlifter. He won the silver medal at the 2021 Commonwealth Championships, a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and a silver medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. In 2017, he won bronze at the Asian Youth Championships and gold at the Junior Commonwealth Championships in the 105 kg category.
- Meena KumariPunjab
Meena Kumari (born 15 August 1994) is an Indian weightlifter and Inspector in Punjabi Police, who placed fifth in the women's 58 kg weight class at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
- Mehar Chand BhaskarIndia
Mehar Chand Bhaskar is a former Indian national weight lifter. He has been awarded the Arjuna Award. He hails from Rajasthan and served in the Indian Army.
- Minati SethiOdisha
Minati Sethi (born 11 February 1990) is a former Indian weightlifter from Odisha. She competed in the 58 kg category and represented India at international competitions. She competed at the 2010 World Weightlifting Championships.
- Mohammed AsdullahIndia
Mohammed Zakir Asdullah (born 28 August 1980) is an Indian weightlifter. He won the silver medal in the Men's 77 kg category at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
- Monika DeviIndia
Laishram Monika Devi (born 1 March 1983) is an Indian weightlifter from Manipur who won the silver medal in the Women's 69 kg category at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Monika was originally part of the Indian squad for the 2008 Summer Olympics in women's 68 kg category but had been dropped after the Weightlifting Federation stated that she had tested positive in a dope test. The Prime Minister's Office overruled this decision.
- Namrata PurohitIndia
Namrata Purohit is an Indian weightlifter from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. She serves in the Indian Army.
- Neelam Setti LaxmiIndia
Neelam Setti Laxmi (born 5 March 1973) is an Indian female weightlifter, who has competed in the 69 kg category and represented India at international competitions. She competed at world championships, most recently at the 1999 World Weightlifting Championships. She won two silver medals at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
- Ngangbam Soniya ChanuIndia
Ngangbam Soniya Chanu (born 15 February 1980) is an Indian Woman Weightlifter. She won the silver medal in the Women's 48 kg category at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. She is from Imphal West district of Manipur state of India.
- Omkar OtariMaharashtra
Omkar Shekhar Otari (born 16 December 1987) is an Indian Weightlifter, who won Bronze medal in the men's 69 kg weight class at the 2014 Commonwealth Games at Glasgow, Scotland. He hails from Kolhapur. He also participated at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in the 62 kg event.
- Pardeep SinghPunjab
Pardeep Singh is an Indian weightlifter from Jalandhar, Punjab who won silver medal in the men's 105 kg weight class at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
- Parvesh Chander SharmaPunjab
Parvesh Chander Sharma is an Indian weightlifter from Punjab. At the 1990 Commonwealth Games, he won two gold medals in the Men's Featherweight – Clean and Jerk, Men's Featherweight – Overall and one silver medal in Men's Featherweight-Snatch.
- Ponnuswamy RangaswamyIndia
Ponnuswamy Rangaswamy (born 13 August 1964) is an Indian weightlifter. He won three gold medals in the 1990 Commonwealth Games in the bantamweight category. He represented India in the men's bantamweight event at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
- Popy HazarikaAssam
Popy Hazarika (born 8 December 1998) is an Indian weightlifter. She won a Silver medal at 2021 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent. In July 2022 she placed Seventh in the women's 59 kg weightlifting event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
- Prasmita MangarajIndia
Prasmita Mangaraj (born (1977-07-04)4 July 1977) is an Indian former weightlifter from Odisha, who competed in the 58 kg category and represented India at international competitions. She competed at the 2003 World Weightlifting Championships.
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
Typical roles across strength sports. These are category-level descriptions, not a sourced weightlifting squad list.
- SnatchSingle-movement lift from floor to overhead — Olympic weightlifting event.
- Clean & jerkTwo-stage lift to the shoulders then overhead — Olympic weightlifting event.
- Squat / bench / deadliftThe 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/organising body
Indian Weightlifting Federation is the body we list as the Indian governing/organising body for Weightlifting. Its recognition status as we hold it: Annual recognition renewed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (as at 2026). Recognition is granted year by year, so read the federation profile for the source.
- Origin
- Ancient
- Olympic
- Yes
- Paralympic
- No
- Category
- Strength
Major Indian Events
Domestic competitions we hold a source for in weightlifting.
- 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 feeding Khelo India Talent Identification & Development (KITID).
- Federation Cup Weightlifting
IWLF's selection trial event.
International Events
Continental and world-level competitions we hold a source for 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.
- ChinaHistorically 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 KoreaConsistent Olympic and World medallists in lighter categories.
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
Related academies
28 listed- SAI National Centre of Excellence, BengaluruEliteBengaluru, Karnataka · Since 1991
Sports Authority of India's flagship southern training centre.
- Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, PatialaElitePatiala, Punjab · Since 1961
Asia's largest sports institute and SAI's flagship coach-education and training campus.
- SAI North-East Regional Centre, ImphalNationalImphal, Manipur · Since 1985
Northeast's premier residential centre, running nine NCOE disciplines from archery and cycling to wushu and weightlifting.
- Army Sports InstituteElitePune, Maharashtra · Since 2001
Indian Army's elite multi-sport institute producing Olympians and Asian Games medallists.
- Bihar Sports Academy, RajgirStateRajgir, Bihar
Bihar government's residential academy and Khelo India State Centre of Excellence at Rajgir.
- Dr. YSR Sports School, KadapaNationalKadapa, Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh's Khelo India State Centre of Excellence, training archers, athletes and weightlifters in YSR district.
- Sangey Lhaden Sports Academy, ChanglangNationalChanglang, Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh's Khelo India State Centre of Excellence for archery, judo and weightlifting.
- States Sports Academy, SarusajaiNationalGuwahati, Assam
Assam's Khelo India State Centre of Excellence at the Sarusajai sports complex, Guwahati.
- Khuman Lampak Sports Complex, ImphalNationalImphal, Manipur
Manipur's Khelo India State Centre of Excellence at Khuman Lampak, for weightlifting, archery and hockey.
- Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, AizawlNationalAizawl, Mizoram
Mizoram's Khelo India State Centre of Excellence at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Aizawl.
- Rajiv Gandhi School of Sports, UppallamNationalPuducherry, Puducherry
Puducherry's Khelo India State Centre of Excellence at Uppallam. Recorded as operational but with no trainees on the Khelo India list.
- Regional Sports School, HakimpetNationalHakimpet, Telangana
Telangana's Khelo India State Centre of Excellence at Hakimpet, and the second-largest KISCE by trainee numbers.
Government Schemes
5 listedCentral and state schemes that fund training, stipends and awards for weightlifting athletes and academies.
- Mizoram State Sports CouncilMizoram State Sports Council Scholarship
Financial assistance provided to students for excellence in sports while pursuing education.
- Government of Maharashtra (Sports and Youth Services)Maharashtra 5% Reservation for Meritorious Sportspersons (revised policy, 2026)
On 8 September 2026 the Maharashtra Cabinet approved a revised policy for the 5 per cent parallel reservation for meritorious sportspersons in direct recruitment in state government and semi-government bodies. Sports included in at least three consecutive Summer Olympic Games after 2005 qualify, and Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Chess, Mallakhamb and Cricket have been added as regional sports. Under the revised policy, sports certificates must be verified through a digital Sports E-Certificate system within three months, and earlier government resolutions on the quota were rescinded.
- Ministry of Youth Affairs and SportsKhelo India Youth Games (KIYG)
A flagship annual multi-disciplinary grassroots event held to identify and nurture young sporting talent at the school and college level across India.
- Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and PensionsRecruitment of Meritorious Sportspersons to Group C Posts in the Central Government (DoPT Sports Quota)
Under instructions of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), central government ministries and departments can directly recruit meritorious sportspersons to Group C posts (including erstwhile Group D) that are filled by direct recruitment, in relaxation of the normal recruitment procedure. The list of qualifying sports has 65 disciplines (63 listed in 2020, with Tennis Ball Cricket added in January 2021 and Yogasana in June 2022). Kudo, Karate, Taekwondo, Golf, Judo, Boxing, Wrestling, Badminton, Cricket and Tennis are among them. Railways and a few scientific and atomic-energy services follow separate rules.
- Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, through the Sports Authority of India (SAI)Khelo India ASMITA Women's Leagues (including the ASMITA Football League)
ASMITA (Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women), earlier called the Khelo India Women's League, is a Khelo India initiative started in 2021 to increase women's participation in sport and to identify new talent. SAI supports the national sports federations in conducting the leagues across age groups at zonal and national level. For 2025-26, 852 leagues were planned in 15 sports disciplines for more than 70,000 women athletes across all States and Union Territories, up from 550 leagues in 27 disciplines and 53,101 women athletes in the previous season. The ASMITA Football League 2025-26 was inaugurated on 10 August 2025 in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, with support from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Western India Football Association. Kickboxing leagues were also held under ASMITA in 2025-26 (zonal leagues in the North, West and South zones and a national league) by the WAKO India Kickboxing Federation, the national federation for kickboxing recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
FAQs
Common questions about weightlifting in India.
Who governs Weightlifting in India?▾
We list IWLF as the Indian governing/organising body for Weightlifting, and state associations affiliated to it run age-group and state-level competition. We hold no current-year Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition record for it, so this is not a statement that it is currently a recognised national sports federation — recognition is granted year by year.
Is Weightlifting an Olympic sport?▾
Yes, Weightlifting is on the Olympic programme. Athletes selected by IWLF against its published criteria can be considered for TOPS funding.
How do I start playing Weightlifting in India?▾
The usual routes are a school team under the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), a college team under the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), or a private academy affiliated to your state association under IWLF. Age-group state championships follow from there.
What government schemes support Weightlifting athletes?▾
TOPS supports a Core Group and a Development Group of disciplines selected by the Mission Olympic Cell, rather than every Olympic sport. We hold no current list confirming whether Weightlifting is among them, so we make no TOPS claim for it. State governments give cash awards to medallists at events they notify. Weightlifting appears on the official Khelo India Games discipline list as "Weightlifting", so athletes identified by the discipline's selectors can be considered under Khelo India Talent Identification & Development (KITID). Appearing on the list is not itself a grant of funding.
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 in Andhra Pradesh
- Weightlifting in Arunachal Pradesh
- Weightlifting in Assam
- Weightlifting in Bihar
- Weightlifting in Chhattisgarh
- Weightlifting in Goa
- Weightlifting in Gujarat
- Weightlifting in Haryana
- Weightlifting in Himachal Pradesh
- Weightlifting in Jharkhand
- Weightlifting in Karnataka
- Weightlifting in Kerala
- Weightlifting in Madhya Pradesh
- Weightlifting in Maharashtra
- Weightlifting in Manipur
- Weightlifting in Meghalaya
- Weightlifting in Mizoram
- Weightlifting in Nagaland
- Weightlifting in Odisha
- Weightlifting in Punjab
- Weightlifting in Rajasthan
- Weightlifting in Sikkim
- Weightlifting in Tamil Nadu
- Weightlifting in Telangana
- Weightlifting in Tripura
- Weightlifting in Uttar Pradesh
- Weightlifting in Uttarakhand
- Weightlifting in West Bengal
- Weightlifting in Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Weightlifting in Chandigarh
- Weightlifting in Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
- Weightlifting in Delhi
- Weightlifting in Jammu & Kashmir
- Weightlifting in Ladakh
- Weightlifting in Lakshadweep
- Weightlifting in Puducherry