Golden lift by Jeremy Lalrinnunga
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Jeremy Lalrinnunga
Meet Jeremy Lalrinnunga, the rock star of Indian weightlifting. On Sunday, the handsome young boy from Aizawl, Mizoram, exploded onto the big stage with a bang. It was a performance he had been preparing for long, dreaming day and night. At the end of a productive day in office, Jeremy, displaying his bold tattoo, won a billion hearts as he aggregated 300kg (140kg snatch plus 160kg clean and jerk) to win gold in the 67kg category at the Commonwealth Games.
Jeremy’s nickname is Jalebi. One could well say the 19-year-old, who has been away from home since the age of nine, realised a big dream and tasted sweet success. The general impression today was Jeremy had got injured on Sunday during his competition in Birmingham.
No, that was not the case, exactly. Jeremy had been put in the 67kg weight category strategically. It helped him win gold, but there were side effects. Sahdev Yadav, the strategist in the Indian Weightlifting Federation, told this website how each time Jeremy’s weight is brought down, he is hit by cramps.
Sunday was no different. Despite the weather in the British Midlands being cooler than London and other parts of Europe, Jeremy had problems. It is not of very serious nature, though. The plan already is to push him into the 73kg weight category, which should help him prepare differently.
Winning a medal at the Commonwealth Games is big. No doubting that. Given the explosive bundle of talent he is, Jeremy will be trained differently, so that he can shoulder more load, literally. “We all know how much Jeremy wanted this medal. As we are already making big plans for his future, we will change his weight category to 73kg so that he can qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics,” added Sahdev Yadav.
Given the fact Jeremy has battled injuries for long spells in his career, he has to be nurtured very smartly. These days, when there is so much planning going into weightlifters’ training schedules and long-term goals, Jeremy will be handled with care and at the same time worked upon like a prized athlete.
Amidst all odds, Jeremy Lalrinnunga rises
Here is a young man who dreamt big from a young age. Leaving home at the age of nine, being part of national camps for so long, has not been easy. He has spent more time in national camps than his own family. Well, that is the hardships an athlete faces, something which we do not get to see on television. The good part is, a precious bundle of talent like Jeremy was handled fr long with kids gloves.
When he won gold in the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, he was an impressionable teenager. He had to be kept away from the good things in life which the average teenager enjoys. Today, four years hence, Jeremy is able to celebrate and savour the success.
Pressure is an integral part of sport. How the athlete is trained for it, physically, mentally and emotionally is vital. The Indian lifters spend time away from home for months, years. Yet, when they see so many more like them training for long hours and dreaming big, they know, the results will come.
To say what Jeremy achieved on Sunday was sensational would be wrong. Given his abilities, he is a talent for the future. He has made the transition from junior to senior stage. He has learnt to handle blips like cramps and other health issues as well.
In an extremely physical sport like weightlifting, injuries are part and parcel of the game. Yet, for the young boy-turned-man to cope with ups and downs has given him great inner strength. Born with another four siblings, when Jeremy had to leave home over a decade ago, he was sent to the Army Sports Institute. That was in 2011. From playing with his father’s medals (also a weightlifter) to sharing good times with his brothers, Jeremy was whisked away.
The process of nurturing talent began then. He won medals all along in his junior career. One thought, after the medal win in 2018, he would become a force to reckon with immediately. No, the wait has been one of patience.
Jeremy has dealt with injuries to his knee, and also his spine. Worse, to be away from the family, miss Christmas and other social functions was hard to deal with. Coach Vijay Sharma has handled Jeremy with kids gloves, literally.
The journey has not ended for Jalebi Jeremy. This is just the beginning of many more things to come. He has problems relating to his body and when he is pushed to the higher weight category, the challenges will be much different. Yet, what will appeal most to Jeremy and the entire fraternity of Indian weightlifting is he has shown the heart for competing.
One has to dream big to win big. And this is where Jeremy is a willing learner, a hard-working young man who has made many sacrifices. If his 300kg looked good today, wait for a while. He is capable of pushing much more. Maybe 20kg or 30kg plus, at least, when he does the snatch, clean and jerk.
Celebrations have begun back home in Aizawl. Maybe, he gets a break after this and visits home. He knows if he is to realise his biggest dream, he will be back at the training base in NIS Patiala. Like it or lump it.
Also Read: Magical Mirabai wins gold, Sanket and Gururaja win silver and bronze respectively
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S Kannan
(382 Articles Published)