AOC’s Guru Naidu becomes India’s 1st weightlifter to win gold at IWF Youth World Championships

Hyderabad: Sanapathi Guru Naidu of Boys Sports Company, AOC Centre, Secunderabad has become India’s first weightlifter to win a gold at the IWF Youth World Championships in Leon, Mexico on Monday.

Competing in the 55kg category, Guru Naidu lifted 104 kgs in snatch and 126 kgs in clean and jerk with an overall lift of 230kgs. He also clinched a bronze medal in the Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships in 2020. Son of marginal farmer Sanapathi Ramaswamy and Papayyamma of Chandram Peta in Vizianagaram District of Andhra Pradesh became the world champion at the age of 16.

While Sanapathi, the 2020 Asian Youth Weightlifitng Championships bronze medallist, stood on top of the podium, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ali Majeed 229kg (105kg 124kg) came in second and Yerassyl Umrov of Kazakhstan 224kg (100kg 124kg) third.

Brigadier Ajeet Deshpande, Commandant, AOC Centre congratulated him on his achievement. Guru Naidu brought to the AOC Centre in 2017 when he was 11 years old. From then he was trained under coaches Subedar Deva Kumar and Subedar Yukar Sibi. His determination and five years of training made him the world champion.