Maharajan Arumugapandian Wins Asian Junior Weightlifting Gold as India Enjoys Strong Day in Tashkent
India's next generation of weightlifters delivered a series of strong performances at the Asian Junior and Youth Weightlifting Championships, with Maharajan Arumugapandian leading the way with a gold medal in the men's 65kg junior category.
Maharajan produced a combined lift of 285kg, comprising 128kg in the snatch and 157kg in the clean and jerk, to claim the Asian junior title. The performance adds another important milestone to the young lifter's progression and comes after a significant improvement from his performance at the Asian Youth Games last year, where he lifted a total of 256 kg.
India also secured gold and silver in the men's junior 60 kg category through Tomchou Meetei and Gurunaidu Sanapathi, while Bhargavi Bellana added another major result by winning the women's 53 kg title in the youth category.
Maharajan's 285kg total was built on a 128kg snatch and 157kg clean and jerk. The Indian showed his strength across both components of the competition, combining a strong opening lift with an even bigger clean and jerk to finish with a total that secured the gold medal. His latest performance also demonstrates the progress he has made over the past year.
At the Asian Youth Games last year, Maharajan recorded a total of 256kg, lifting 114kg in the snatch and 142kg in the clean and jerk. His 2026 Asian Junior performance therefore represents a substantial increase in his overall total, with improvements in both disciplines. The result is particularly encouraging as Maharajan continues to move through the age-group pathway and compete at increasingly demanding levels.
His current total of 285kg is also within six kilograms of the 291kg total recorded at the 2026 Junior World Championships, providing an indication of the level at which he is now competing.
India enjoyed another standout result in the men's junior 60kg category, where Tomchou Meetei secured gold with a combined lift of 266kg. Tomchou's performance consisted of a 116kg snatch and a 150kg clean and jerk. The Indian finished just ahead of compatriot Gurunaidu Sanapathi, who claimed silver with a total of 265kg.
Gurunaidu produced a 119kg snatch and followed it with a 146kg clean and jerk. The one-kilogram difference between the two Indian lifters made the competition particularly close and ensured that the podium was dominated by Indian athletes. For Indian weightlifting, having two athletes finish first and second in the same international junior weight category is a significant indication of the depth emerging within the country's development system.
Tomchou's 266 kg total was enough to secure the title, while Gurunaidu's 265 kg ensured another Indian medal.
India's success was not limited to the men's junior events. Bhargavi Bellana won the women's 53kg title in the youth category with a total lift of 178kg. Her performance consisted of an 80kg snatch and a 98kg clean and jerk, giving her a combined total that secured gold. Bhargavi's performance comes against the backdrop of a higher total of 188 kg at the Youth World Championships, meaning there remains considerable room for further progression as she continues her development.
The result nevertheless provides another important international title for the young Indian lifter and adds to the country's medal haul at the Asian championships.
The performances of Maharajan, Tomchou, Gurunaidu and Bhargavi highlight the depth developing within Indian weightlifting at the junior and youth levels. Maharajan's improvement is particularly notable. Moving from a 256kg total at the Asian Youth Games to 285kg at the Asian Junior Championships represents a major step forward in a relatively short period.
Tomchou and Gurunaidu's one-two finish in the men's 60 kg category is equally significant because it demonstrates that India has multiple athletes capable of challenging for continental honours within the same weight category. For a sport where progression through the youth, junior and senior levels requires sustained improvements in strength, technique and competition management, such performances provide an encouraging foundation.
The biggest challenge for all four athletes will now be converting age-group success into sustained senior-level performances. Winning an Asian junior or youth title establishes potential, but the transition to senior competition brings stronger fields and significantly higher performance benchmarks. For Maharajan, his improvement across the past year suggests that he is moving in the right direction.
His 285kg total places him within touching distance of the 291kg benchmark from the 2026 Junior World Championships, while his performances in both the snatch and clean and jerk indicate that he is developing into a well-rounded 65kg lifter. Tomchou and Gurunaidu will also benefit from competing against each other at the highest junior level. Their one-kilogram difference in Tashkent demonstrates how closely matched they currently are and could create a healthy competitive environment as both progress.
Bhargavi, meanwhile, has already shown that she can produce a strong total at major youth competitions and now has another Asian title to her name.
The results in Tashkent provide plenty of encouragement for Indian weightlifting. Maharajan Arumugapandian's 65kg junior gold, Tomchou Meetei's 60kg title, Gurunaidu Sanapathi's silver and Bhargavi Bellana's youth 53 kg gold represent a strong collection of performances from India's emerging lifters.
More importantly, the results demonstrate progress across both men's and women's categories and across the junior and youth levels. The immediate medals are important, but the bigger objective will be ensuring that these athletes continue to improve as they move towards senior international competition. For now, however, India's young weightlifters have delivered a strong statement on the Asian stage.
Maharajan's 285kg gold, Tomchou's 266kg title, Gurunaidu's 265kg silver and Bhargavi's 178kg youth gold underline the growing strength of India's next generation in weightlifting.
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