Jeremy Lalrinnunga

Some Lesser Known Facts About Jeremy Lalrinnunga

• Jeremy Lalrinnunga is an Indian weightlifter. In 2018, he became the first Indian to win a gold medal in the Youth Olympics Games in the 62 kg men’s category.

• He was born and brought up in Aizawl, Mizoram.

  

• At the age of 6, he started his training as a boxer in his father’s boxing academy. At the age of 8, the boxing academy was shut down due to his father’s financial crisis.

• At the age of 7, he used to visit a gym in his village where he observed a few boys doing weightlifting. He started developing an interest in weightlifting from there. During an interview, while talking about it, he said,
  

  I used to watch boys training at a gym near my house. They used to lift weights. It excited me. That’s what gave me the encouragement I needed to try my hand at the sport. I approached those boys in the gym and asked them if they can teach me how to lift. I started doing it and started lifting weights with perfection. May be God wanted me to become a weightlifter someday.”

• He then decided to take professional training in weightlifting and approached Malsawma Khiangte (his first coach) for training. During an interview, he talked about it. He said,
  

  I approached Malsawma. He is the one who gave me professional weightlifting lessons. He used to ask me to bring a bamboo and asked me to lift it slowly. Those were 5m long and 20mm wide. There was no weight on them, but it was actually tough to lift a stick than a weight because you need to know how to balance it. It is quite tough. I practiced day and night, lifting bamboo sticks and learning the art of balancing.”

• When he was 9 years old, the Army Sports Institute (ASI), Pune, selected him in talent scouting, and Jeremy then continued his training in weightlifting at ASI.

• Later, he did his training in weightlifting under the Indian weightlifting coach Vijay Sharma at the Indian National Camp in Patiala.

  

• Jeremy has won medals at various national and international weightlifting competitions including World Youth Championships, Khelo India Youth Games, Asian Youth and Junior Championships, and Commonwealth Youth and Junior Championships.

  

• In 2018, he participated in the Youth Olympic Games and won a gold medal, he became the first Indian to win a gold medal in the men’s 67 kg category in Youth Olympic Games. He scored a combined tally of 274 kg (124 kg in the snatch and 150 kg in the clean and jerk). While talking to the reporters, he talked about winning the gold medal, he said,
  

  I just can’t wait to meet my father. I will directly go to his office and will pay a surprise visit to him. He works as a labourer. I am really proud that my father did everything he could to help me become a sportsman. I am so so happy to fulfill his dreams. He is on contract and can be asked to leave his job anytime. I want him to relax. I will take care of my family now.”

• Jeremy loves to travel and spend time with his family and friends in his leisure time.

  

• He made a few paid posts on Instagram for the clothing brand Adidas.