Harshada Sharad Garud created history by winning the gold medal at the International Weightlifting Federation’s Junior World Championships in Heraklion, Greece on Monday. She became the first Indian weightlifter to do so. His journey till this point has been full of ups and downs. Harshada still remembers the day when he jokingly carried a 50 kg sack of rice on his back. Then she was only 12 years old and used to study in 12th standard. He has seen his father struggling with lifting the sack in a similar manner in Bargaon, Pune.
Recalling that sentence, Harshada said that he did not think of making a career in weightlifting then. In the women’s 45kg category, 18-year-old Harshada lifted a total of 153kg (70kg and 83kg) to win the gold medal and opened India’s medal account on the very first day of the competition. Harshada secured the gold medal in snatch with an effort of 70kg while she was second behind Turkey’s Bektas Kansu (85kg) after clean and jerk. Bektas won the silver medal by lifting a total of 150 kg (65 kg and 85 kg).
After winning the gold medal, Harshada said that she hoped that she would win the medal, but winning the gold is a big deal. Harshada was encouraged to take up weightlifting by her father and her maternal uncle, both of whom dreamed of competing at the international level, but could never fulfill it. Badgaon situated near Pune has now become a Nagar Panchayat. It is one of the weightlifting centers of Maharashtra apart from Manmad, Sangli and Kolhapur. 73-year-old Biharilal Dubey had laid its foundation here. He established a small gymnasium here in 1972.
Harshada was named after Dubey’s daughter-in-law, with whom Kishore used to train his father Sharad. He still remembers the day his teammate won cross-country gold. Sharad, who works in the Panchayat Jal Nirman Department, said, “I was inspired that day and decided that my first child would be named after Harshada. So when my daughter was born I was very happy. And even before she was born, it was decided that she would be a weightlifter, representing India.”
Sharad adds, “Thankfully my daughter hated studies, otherwise she would have been stuck in books. The day he picked up a 50 kg sack of rice, I put him in weightlifting to fulfill my dream.” According to the family, the star weightlifter is quite stubborn. The father said, “One Harshada’s teacher said that she would not be able to get at least 35 percent of the marks required to pass. She passed from the first class and reached the teacher with a peda and said that do not tell this to any student. Harshada talks a lot. Because of this they are also called radio. He said on the teacher’s sentence, “The teacher kept challenging me, so I told him, now eat sweets and eat whatever is said for me.”