Weightlifting
From bamboo training to national medals, Babulal Hembrom rises through adversity
Khelo India athlete wins Tribal Games silver after overcoming financial struggles and grassroots challenges.
From bamboo training to national medals, Babulal Hembrom rises through adversity (Photo credit: Khelo India)
When a former Army coach, Gurvinder Singh, suggested that Babulal Hembrom stop playing other sports and take up weightlifting given his body structure, the biggest challenge for the teenager from Keribanda village in Ramgarh District of Jharkhand was to find funds to pursue the sport.
But instead of giving up, Babulal began training by using bamboo sticks and iron rods at construction sites before joining the Jharkhand State Sports Promotion Society coaching centre, which meant commuting 60 km daily to train under Gurvinder.
“It was a tough period for me when I took up the sport in 2018. Financially, we couldn’t afford the equipment and the kit to train and hence I would make do with bamboo sticks and iron rods. Then I got coaching support from JSPS and my coach and here I am,” said Babulal, who won the silver medal in the men’s 60kg category at the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 here.
“My mother works as a cook in a local school and my father works odd jobs and we always struggled for financial stability. But I am confident that all this success at Khelo India events will change as I win more such medals,” said the youngest of the five siblings at 19.
Babulal Hembrom has been making his mark on the national and international stage in the age-group circuit for a while. In 2024, he clinched the Khelo India Youth Games gold in 49kg category in Chennai and then went on to win medals at the IWF World Youth Weightlifting Championships and also the Asian Junior and Youth Weightlifting Championships.
Babulal is now making the transformation to the senior circuit and has set his sights on making it to the Indian team for major international tournaments, as he is now part of the national camps in Patiala.
“This silver medal at the Khelo India Tribal Games has given me the confidence that I am on the right path with my training. Once I go back to the national camp, I will speak to my coaches to decide my future targets and then train accordingly. Definitely my ambitions are to represent India in major international events like the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and the world championships,” Babulal added.