19-year-old lifter Golom Tinku from Arunachal Pradesh has won the gold in the men’s 60 kg weight category at the Khelo India University Games here.

Representing Lovely Professional University (LPU), Golom lifted a total of 256 kg (Snatch 112 kgs; C&J 144 kgs) to clinch the gold medal. He lifted a total of 33 kg more than his closest competitor Khumbheswar Mallik of Chandigarh University (223 kg) while bronze medallist Sachin of CT University managed a total lift of 214 kgs.

Tinku, who first made his mark in the second edition of the Khelo India Youth Games in Pune, has never had to look back. On Tuesday, Golom added another feather to his fledging career by winning the gold medal.

But Golom’s journey till he got noticed in the Khelo India Youth Games was anything but easy. The 19-year-old had just started learning the ropes of weightlifting when he lost his father back in 2016 to a tragic accident at their Godak village home in Kamle district of Arunachal Pradesh.

Golom, the third of five siblings, was inspired by his elder brother and sister, and initially trained at the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) Naharlagun campus for three years before shifting to the AOC centre in Secunderabad.

“My sister used to do karate there, and my elder brother played badminton. So, I started accompanying them just to watch. One day, one of the coaches asked me if I wanted to try weightlifting,” he told SAI Media after winning the gold medal.

Within months, Golom’s career witnessed an instant rise with the youngster breaking records and dominating competitions at the state level. However, the loss of their father, who died after falling off a tree, affected the family’s finances and his elder brother had to put an end to his badminton career and support the family.

But Golom continued to work hard and won a bronze medal in his first Khelo India Youth Games appearance in Pune. He then went on to grab the gold medal at the Guwahati edition of KIYG before setting his eyes on international competitions.

Golom, a Khelo India athlete, has so far won three medals (one silver and two bronze) at the Asian championships, besides winning gold with a total lift of 230 Kg at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship 2023.

Currently training at the Army Sports Institute in Pune, Golom believes that the KIUG 2025 was another box he wished to tick before the upcoming senior nationals. “This was my first Khelo India University Games, and to win the gold is always special. But the job is far from done,” he added.

Golom, who won a bronze medal at the IWF World Youth Championship held in Durres, Albania in March 2023, also credited the financial support from the Khelo India scheme for helping him with his training needs, and believes that the scheme has encouraged youngsters from the remotest parts to take up sports seriously.