Kalyan earned international acclaim when teenage powerlifter Shwed Gaikwad won the gold medal at the International Powerlifting Championship in Sri Lanka. The 19-year-old athlete from Sapad village near Kalyan won the challenging 85 kg weight category at the tournament held on November 30. The competition featured participants from 28 different countries, making it the contest highly competitive.
Maharashtra sent 24 lifters to the world meet, with eight coming from Kalyan alone. Shwed stood out among the group, successfully lifting a total of 425 kg. His performance featured an 85 kg bench press, a 150 kg squat, and a 190 kg deadlift, putting him ahead of international rivals.
Shwed started powerlifting about a year ago and trained hard at Namaskar Mandal in Kalyan West. His disciplined routine and focused approach contributed significantly to his rapid progress. Along with athletics, he is currently in his second year of a Bachelor of Arts degree at Birla College.
Shwed’s gold medal at such a young age has given his village pride and established him as a promising star in the international arena of powerlifting.
