International players in Raipur sharpening weightlifting skills of children, youths

By Sandeep Pradhan

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], April 19 (ANI): After more than a decade-long career, numerous injuries and international medals, the duo of two brothers in Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur are teaching the skills and techniques of weightlifting to children, teens, girls and professional players so that one day anyone from here could reserve his/her berth into Olympic and win the medals.

With dreams in their eyes for preparing players for the Olympics and international events, international weightlifter Rustam Sarang and his younger brother Ajaydeep Sarang, who is also an international player, are sweating several hours in a gym to enhance the skills and teach the basics of weightlifting to their students, which include children, teens, girls and professional players.

Realising the fact that proper guidance and coaching may produce good players from Chhattisgarh with the potential of clinching medals in state, national and international-level events, the duo of brothers started giving coaching since 2016 at Jai Satnam Vyayanshala location in Raipur's Gudhiyari area. International weightlifters are giving training to students free of cost. So, far Rustam and Ajaydeep have produced around two dozen national-level players by offering them coaching at Jai Satnam Vyayanshala.

Notably, Rustam, who had played at the national event in 2003, had participated in 13 international events and bagged four gold medals and one bronze medal. Similarly, Ajaydeep, who has recently suffered an injury during a tournament, had started his weightlifting in 2003 and won two international medals, including silver in the commonwealth championship and bronze in the South Asian Championship.

Ajaydeep has done diploma in sports coaching in weightlifting from NIS Patiala in 2019-20 while Rustam has completed the diploma from the NIS 2020-21.

"Sports is my passion and weightlifting is the speciality, therefore I decided to serve as a full-time coach after a long career in the game for preparing new and talented players. Currently, we are working on small children and teaching them about the technicalities and forms of weightlifting," said Rustam while speaking to ANI in Raipur.

"The children cannot perform well until their base would not be clear and strong," he added.

He further elaborated that we are creating awareness among children belonging to the small age group about weightlifting and also working on enhancing their skill so that they would reach the level of national and international events. Keeping the same in mind, we are operating a free gymnasium wherein children ranging from the age group of 8 and more are learning the game's skill.

Sharing his experience of suffering injuries in his days of professional weightlifting, the international weightlifter said during training here we are keeping special attention over forms, physical conditioning, muscle development and flexibility so that the chances of injuries may reduce.

"We don't want children and budding players to make those mistakes and suffer injuries which were done by us in the absence of proper coaching," he said.

Here at our gymnasium, we stress laid on the consumption of nutritious food at home and ignore the intake of junk foods, said Rustam.

"We have seen several challenges and the efforts made by our father Budhram Sarang for ensuring us resources for training. Recalling the time of crisis and challenge, we are working hard to ensure these budding and aspiring players have the best available equipment," said Rustam.

"With the help of family, personal efforts as well as parents of players and government, we are trying to ensure the best equipment for them," he added.

Meanwhile, speaking about the shortcuts and use of drugs, Rustam said that instead of taking banned substances, youths and players should focus on working hard and selecting an experienced training. He also exhorted youths to avoid shortcuts and use of drugs.

After taking retirement from the game, what you return back to and keeping the same in mind, I decided to share my experience as well as gaming skill with the new children while preparing them, said Ajaydeep Sarang.

I have played three international events and won two medals but somewhere deep inside my heart there was regret that I was unable to play in the Olympics, said Ajaydeep, elaborating that now my goal is to train children and make them ready for the Olympics.

The coach gets overwhelmed when a child groomed by him stands in the victory ceremony, he added.

By practising here for a period of one year, I have played a national event and also participated in an event under Khelo India wherein I clinched sixth rank, said the 15-year-old weightlifter Vidhi Sahu. Now, I have a single aim of securing a berth in the Olympics and clinching a medal, she added. (ANI)