Varanasi School Weightlifters Qualify for September 2 Divisional Meet

VARANASI: Nine school athletes topped their weight categories at Varanasi's seventieth district boys' weightlifting competition on Thursday, earning selection for the divisional meet scheduled in Ghazipur on September 2. The contest at Shri Agrasen Mahajani Mahavidyalaya Inter College in Chaukhamba brought together under-17 and under-19 lifters from several city schools. District Weightlifting Association general secretary Chandra Mohan Shukla opened the event.

In the under-17 division, Aditya Sahani of Shri Harishchandra Intermediate College won at 56kg and Vishnu Yadav of SBS Inter College led the 60kg category. Santi Bhardwaj of CM Anglo Bengali Intermediate College topped 71kg, Rudra Gupta of the host Agrasen Mahajani college won at 79kg, and Akash Verma of Shri Yugal Bihari Inter College finished first at 88kg. The spread of winners across schools was one of the day's notable features.

The under-19 list included Vipul Rai of Suraj Pati Kanya Vidyalaya at 60kg, Akash Kumar Singh of Shri Yugal Bihari Inter College at 71kg, and Agrasen Mahajani students Arjun Yadav and Ritik Kumar at 98kg and 110kg respectively. The source report identified these category winners as the athletes selected for the next level. Final entry lists and weigh-in requirements remain subject to the competition organisers.

Principal Dr Devendra Pratap Singh presented awards, while physical-education teacher Devendra Nath Goswami conducted the programme. For the qualifiers, the few days before Ghazipur will be about recovery and technique rather than drastic weight cutting. School-level lifting requires close supervision because rushed attempts to enter a lower class can undermine performance and health. Coaches are expected to manage training, travel and documentation alongside normal classes.

District competitions are often the least visible rung of the sporting ladder, yet they determine who receives the next competitive opportunity. A platform, trained officials and a clearly recorded result can matter as much to a teenage lifter as a large stadium does to an elite athlete. Varanasi's representatives now have a short turnaround before the divisional event. Their performance there will decide who advances further in the school calendar.

Weightlifting is a technical sport in which progress comes from repeatable movement, not a single dramatic attempt. The district's schools can support these athletes with safe equipment, qualified supervision and nutrition advice that families can realistically follow. Recognition at assembly and help with travel costs are small interventions that prevent a talented student from dropping out between district and divisional level. Selection is an achievement; sustained training determines what it becomes.