At just 16, Priteesmita Bhoi has become a beacon of India’s next generation in weightlifting a story that merges raw power with strategic precision.
Her rise from the small town of Dhenkanal, Odisha, to becoming a Youth World Record holder and continental champion encapsulates how India’s revamped athlete development pipeline is producing world-class performers. However, her success has also been accompanied by a swirl of misinformation including inflated claims of record-breaking lifts that do not align with verified data. A closer look at her real, verifiable performances paints an even more inspiring story: one grounded in discipline, science, and long-term vision rather than hype.
Amidst reports of a 92 kg Clean & Jerk and a 158 kg total at the 2025 Asian Youth Games, it is important to clarify that these numbers are not verified by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) or the Asian Weightlifting Federation (AWF).
According to official documentation, Priteesmita’s legitimate milestone remains the Youth World Record of 76 kg in the Clean & Jerk, achieved during her gold-winning performance at the 2024 IWF Youth World Championships in Lima, Peru. That effort, combined with a 57 kg Snatch, gave her a total of 133 kg in the women’s 40 kg category enough to crown her as a World Youth Champion at just 15.
By 2025, she has gone on to record a personal best total of 150 kg (63 kg Snatch, 87 kg Clean & Jerk) at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad a verified and realistic benchmark of her steady upward trajectory.
Born in 2008 in Dhenkanal, Priteesmita’s journey began far from the spotlight. After losing her father at a young age, she and her elder sister were introduced to weightlifting by Coach Gopal Krushna Das, who noticed their natural athleticism during a local track event. Under Das’s guidance at the Odisha Weightlifting High Performance Centre (HPC), she found the structure and support that have since shaped her career. What began as an experiment turned into a disciplined pursuit fueled by her idol, Mirabai Chanu, whose success at the Olympics remains the guiding light for many Indian lifters.
Her rapid progress from a 113 kg total in 2022 to 150 kg in 2025 demonstrates both her talent and the strength of India’s grassroots ecosystem. She is also a Khelo India athlete, ensuring continuous financial and logistical support under the national talent development scheme.
A Deep Dive into Her Lifting Evolution
Priteesmita’s competition history highlights an extraordinary rate of improvement and adaptability:
| Year | Competition | Category | Total (kg) | Key Highlight |
| 2022 | IWLF Youth Nationals | 40kg | 113 | Bronze finish |
| 2023 | Khelo India Youth Games | 40kg | 116 | Silver |
| 2024 | IWF Youth Worlds, Lima | 40kg | 133 | 🥇 Gold, World Youth Record (C&J 76kg) |
| 2025 | Commonwealth C’ships | 44kg | 150 | 🥇 Gold, Personal Best |
This represents an average improvement of 17–20 kg per year, a significant rate for a youth athlete. The gains are consistent with natural growth phases and scientific training loads managed by her HPC team. Her technical profile reveals a particular strength in the Clean & Jerk, which accounts for roughly 57% of her total lift indicating explosive lower-body power and technical discipline. However, the Snatch, which relies heavily on speed, stability, and precision, remains her key area for targeted improvement in the coming years.
Infrastructure and Systemic Support
Priteesmita’s rise is not an isolated phenomenon it’s the product of an evolving Indian sporting ecosystem that now prioritizes scientific coaching, financial support, and structured competition exposure.
- Grassroots Coaching: Coach Gopal Krushna Das identified and molded her technique and mentality.
- Training Hub: The Odisha Weightlifting HPC, equipped with advanced recovery and analytics facilities, has been pivotal in maintaining performance consistency.
- National Integration: Coordination between the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) and Sports Authority of India (SAI) ensures her seamless participation in global events.
- Financial Backing: Her Khelo India scholarship covers nutrition, travel, and specialized coaching vital for athletes from modest backgrounds.
This multilayered support network demonstrates how India’s new high-performance framework is producing sustained, measurable outcomes at the international level.
At 16, Priteesmita stands on the threshold of transitioning into the junior and senior circuits. Her long-term target, as defined by her coaching team, is the 2032 Olympic Games when she will be 24, the prime age for a weightlifter. To be a serious contender, she must progress from her current 150 kg total toward the 205 kg benchmark that defines Olympic podium contention in the 49 kg class. Achieving this would require an annual gain of 10–12 kg, sustained technical refinement, and injury-free progression ambitious but achievable given her current trajectory.
Priteesmita’s journey embodies the new Indian sports narrative a blend of grassroots resilience, structured support, and global ambition. Her partnership with the Odisha HPC and Khelo India system represents a model that could redefine athlete development nationwide. Beyond medals and numbers, her story stands as proof that world-class champions can emerge from India’s hinterlands when given the right ecosystem.
As the Indian tricolour continues to rise across international platforms, one thing is clear Priteesmita Bhoi is not just lifting weights; she’s lifting the future of Indian weightlifting itself.
