Athlete sisters powerlift hopes of many in UP's Shahjahanpur

Shahjahanpur (UP): Two teenage sisters of this district who toiled hard to train as weightlifters with limited means and won several medals, have become an inspiration for other budding athletes of their village.

Nikita (17) and Roli (15) who were introduced to the power sports by their father Ajay Pal Verma, began training at a young age. Their father, who himself was a weightlifter in his younger days, initially lacked the means to provide them with the right equipment. “My daughters began training by lifting stones tied to iron rods as we didn't have enough money to buy weight plates, mats and other equipment required to train as a weightlifter,” said Verma, a class IV government employee. He now spends half of his salary on building equipment and providing the right diet for his daughters. While Nikita is a graduate student, Roli is a student of Class 11. Nikita, in 2020, won a bronze medal in a state-level weightlifting championship organised by the Uttar Pradesh Weightlifting Association.

Her younger sister bagged silver and bronze medals in different categories in the same championship earlier this year. Roli also secured the top position at a weightlifting tournament organised by the youth affairs department of the state. The duo recently won several medals in the Khelo India tournaments organised in the state. The Vermas began their strive for medals alone but now many families of their village Mahau Durg have started sending their children to train with the sisters. In the absence of a proper training arena, the budding athletes train at a government school located a kilometre away from their village. “Over two dozen boys and girls from the village now train with my daughters,” said Verma, while sharing tips with the young athletes and helping them with their exercise regimen.

“The children practice for two hours in the morning followed by a three-hour rigorous session in the evening,” he added. The sisters treat Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu as their idol and hope to fulfil their father's dream by bringing more laurels to the district. Additional District Magistrate Administration Sanjay Kumar Pandey told PTI that the girls' achievements were a "matter of great pride" for the district and the duo would be encouraged further through the District Sports Promotion Committee by providing them with a platform. "I will ask the District Sports Officer to make a list of such players and make efforts to provide them with necessary facilities," Pandey said, adding that athletes of other villages should also learn from the sisters