Bikaner: Golom Tinku continued his rise in weightlifting by winning the men’s 60kg gold medal at the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) Rajasthan 2025 on Tuesday.
The 19-year-old lifter from Arunachal Pradesh, representing Lovely Professional University (LPU), posted a total lift of 256 kg — 112 kg in snatch and 144 kg in clean and jerk — securing the top position. He finished 33 kg ahead of silver medallist Khumbheswar Mallik of Chandigarh University, who managed 223 kg. Sachin from CT University took the bronze with a total of 214 kg.
Golom first gained attention at the second Khelo India Youth Games in Pune, but his journey has been shaped by significant challenges. He lost his father in a tragic accident in 2016, soon after he had started learning weightlifting in his home village of Godak in Kamle district.
The third among five siblings, he was influenced by his sister and brother, who were active in karate and badminton. He began training at SAI’s Naharlagun centre before moving to the AOC facility in Secunderabad. “One of the coaches asked if I wanted to try weightlifting, and that’s how it started,” he told SAI Media after his win.
Despite financial struggles after his father’s death — leading his brother to quit badminton to support the family — Golom continued progressing. He earned a bronze medal at his first Khelo India Youth Games in Pune, followed by a gold in the Guwahati edition, and later shifted focus toward international goals.
A Khelo India athlete, Golom has already achieved multiple medals at the Asian Championships — one silver and two bronze — and struck gold at the 2023 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship with a total lift of 230 kg. He also claimed bronze at the IWF World Youth Championship in Durres, Albania in March 2023.
Now based at the Army Sports Institute in Pune, he sees the KIUG title as another key step ahead of the upcoming senior nationals. “This was my first Khelo India University Games. Winning gold is special, but there’s more to achieve,” he said.
He credited the Khelo India support system for helping athletes like him from remote areas access better facilities and career opportunities. For many athletes, the initiative has opened doors to national success and long-term sporting growth.
