How India’s rising star - 19-year-old weightlifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga never gave up on his medal dreams

On the shoulders of 19-year-old, Jeremy Lalrinnunga were the hopes of a billion Indians, which the budding India star carried successfully at the 2022 edition of the Commonwealth Games.

Not many know about Jeremy, who has etched his name in the annals of sport at just 19 years of age.

Boasting cool tattoos, which by the way include the Olympics rings as well, the Mizoram-based athlete is like any other teenager. He hates studying, is a big Cristiano Ronaldo fan, and has a vivacious demeanour.

But, his zeal for his sport sets him apart from the rest.Lalrinnunga, has sports running in his veins. Son of a national boxer, Jeremy started as a boxer too, but soon realised that weightlifting is his calling.

The Aizwal-born star first burst into the scenes in 2018, when he became the first Indian to win a gold medal at Youth Olympics. 4 years later, Jeremy lifted the gold medal successfully at Birmingham 2022, becoming yet another Indian from the northeast making the nation proud.

The star had earlier said, he wants to make more records, and preferably a Games record. Jeremy did exactly as he said. He made a new Commonwealth Games record after lifting 140 kg in Snatch & 160 kg in Clean & Jerk to finish with a record total of 300 kg.

However, the transition from junior to senior, Lalrinnunga feels, wasn’t easy for him. He missed on his Tokyo berth, injured himself twice, endured a torrid year, and despite all the struggles, he emerged into the scenes and how!

Before boarding the Birmingham flight, the young gun had just recovered from his back & knee injury which he had suffered after his gold medal-winning performance at the 2021 Commonwealth championships.

The time away from training in fact helped him realise his dream, for it allowed him to reset, reflect and set his sight on his goal of bringing home the ultimate glory. And while he has achieved the Commonwealth dream, the journey has only just begun for the 19-year-old.