Kerala’s first gold medal at the 38th National Games 2025 had a resemblance to Vinesh Phogat’s ordeal at the Paris 2024.
Sufna Jasmin got her state team off the mark with a gold medal in the women’s 45kg weightlifting event. It was a show of her composure and strength as she endured stressful hours in the lead up to the main event.
To meet the weigh-in at 9am on Thursday, the Marrotichal native had to cut down 1.5kg of weight overnight to avoid disqualification. She was put on a strict diet, made to do exhaustive workouts, and even trim her hair.
The weigh-in took place two hours before the main event.
“She was 1.5 kg over until yesterday and was 150 grams overweight in the morning. We had to cut her hair to make the weight,” Sufna’s coach, Chithra Chandramohan, told the Onmanorama over the phone from Uttarakhand.
The 22-year-old managed 72kg in Snatch and 87 in Clean & Jerk to bag a total of 159 kg. It was enough for her to edge eventual silver medalist Dipali Gurasle of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh’s Rani.
“Sufna had scarcely eaten over the last two days. Shortly after the medal ceremony, she sat down for a well-deserved meal: a plate of roti and some curry”
“She had done 80-100 in the gym, but we did not want to push her. There was also good competition in the event,” her coach added.
Sufna, pursuing her college from the Christ College, trains at the Kerala Sports Council centre in Thissur for five years.
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