Raipur, March 28 (IANS) 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.

“My mother works as a cook in a local school, and my father works odd jobs, and we have always struggled for financial stability. But I am confident that all this success at Khelo India events will change as I win more such medals,” said the youngest of the five siblings at 19.

Babulal Hembrom has established himself on both national and international stages in the age-group circuit. In 2024, he won gold in the 49kg category at the Khelo India Youth Games in Chennai and subsequently earned medals at the IWF World Youth Weightlifting Championships as well as the Asian Junior and Youth Weightlifting Championships.

Babulal is now advancing to the senior circuit and aims to join the Indian team for major international tournaments, as he is currently part of the national camps in Patiala.

“This silver medal at the Khelo India Tribal Games has given me the confidence that I am on the right path with my training. Once I go back to the national camp, I will speak to my coaches to decide my future targets and then train accordingly. Definitely, my ambitions are to represent India in major international events like the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, and the world championships,” Babulal added.

--IANS

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