Poppy Hazarika is an Indian weightlifter who has won several medals in weightlifting. She competes in the under 59 kg category.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Poppy Hazarika was born on Tuesday, 8 December 1998 (age 24 years; as of 2022) in Namati Salkathoni village, Sibsagar, Assam, India. Their zodiac sign is Sagittarius. He practiced discus and javelin throw in his village during his childhood. She once went with her friend Dimpy Dutta to visit a weightlifting training camp at Swahid Pioli Phukan College near her village, where she met coach Daljit Borua and started practicing weightlifting in his camp.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 7″
Weight (Approx): 60 kg
Hair Color: Black
Eye colour: black
Family
parents and siblings
His mother’s name is Deepti Hazarika. When she was 10 years old, her father died due to electric shock. He has 3 sisters and is the youngest among the siblings.
Poppy Hazarika (right) with her mother Deepti Hazarika
livelihood
He started training under coach Daljit Barua in 2013 and improved significantly in a very short period of time. When he started training his weight was only 35 kg and within a few days his weight started increasing almost equal to his body weight. When she won the gold medal in the district meet in 2014, her coach Daljit Barua said,
“Poppy had good height at an early age and as she previously competed in athletics, she did not face any difficulties in the running sessions before training. The main problem was lack of proper diet which hindered his weightlifting training in the beginning. We often contributed to getting supplements for the children. Although there was only one set for training, she still trained after the other children left. When she became the district champion by lifting 30 kg in snatch and 40 kg in clean and jerk, the first thing she did was to keep the medal in her pocket to show it to her mother.
After being selected in the talent hunt scheme, he was enrolled at SAI Training Centre, Golaghat, where he trained under coach Om Prakash Kalyani. He won medals in many weightlifting competitions. His coach Om Prakash Kalyani in an interview talked about his family situation, his physical condition and his achievements and said,
“When she became the state champion in the 48kg category, she lifted 50kg in snatch and 60kg in clean and jerk. His advantage was his height and the initial speed with which he raised the bar. She was a natural athlete and trained herself during race practice to increase her stamina. The only problem I faced as a trainer was the need to constantly motivate him. We knew this was very difficult for her family and that like any young person, she would melt down. But then we will always talk about the next medal, which is still on the cards.”
He started training at the national camp in Delhi and won several medals in senior competitions. National head coach Vijeta Sharma was impressed by her tenacity and dedication. While talking about him in an interview he said,
“His main strength is that we don’t need to motivate him. She has seen so much struggle that she knows she has to work hard. His body weight was slightly low for his height because he did not get proper diet and supplements at a young age. So, our first task was to bring her appropriate weight as per her height. He has explosive speed in terms of technique but we need to work on his second bridge. As she spends more time in the national camp, I believe she will become more confident and will also move to a higher weight category, which will be more suitable for her given her height.
She met her idol Mirabai Chanu at the national camp and started training with her. While talking about Mirabai in an interview, he said,
“When I first came to the camp, it took me a few days to realize that I was getting a chance to train with people like Meera didi. Seeing him practice with so much dedication inspires me and I watch his technique closely.
She finished 17th in the 59 kg category at the 2021 World Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and 7th in the 59 kg category at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
medal
gold medal
- 2014: District meeting
Poppy Hazarika (in red and blue) after winning gold in the district meet in 2014
- 2016: Assam State Weightlifting Competition in 48 kg category
- 2022: Senior National in Odisha in 59 kg category
Poppy Hazarika (in red) on the podium after winning gold at the Senior Nationals 2022
- 2022: Singapore Weightlifting International Competition in 64 kg category
- 2022: Khelo India Women’s Games in Nagrota, Himachal Pradesh in 59 kg category
Poppy Hazarika performing at the Khelo India Women’s Games 2022
- 2023: Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Greater Noida in 59 kg category
silver medal
- 2018: Junior National in Nagpur in 59 kg category
- 2020: Senior National in Kolkata in 59 kg category
- 2021: Senior National in Patiala in 59 kg category
- 2021: Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 59 kg category
- 2022: 36th National Games in Gujarat in 59 kg category
Poppy Hazarika (second from left) on the podium after winning the silver medal at the 36th National Games 2022
Facts/General Knowledge
- He won the Sports Achiever Award for Northeast Frontier Railway zone in 2022.
- When she first started weightlifting training, she used to train for 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening. There was only one equipment set for the 12 children, so she would train after the other children had left.
- In 2018, he almost quit weightlifting to join Assam Police to support his family. In an interview he talked about the time when he thought of giving up weightlifting to get a job in Assam Police and said,
“I was tired after training. Bas apni maa ke liye kuch karna chahti thi (I was tired of training all the time. I wanted to do something for my mother). That’s why I thought seriously about participating in Assam Police Recruitment, before my friend Dimpy and coach sat with me and forced me to think about my weightlifting career. I understood that any sport requires a long wait and if my mother can support all four of us for so many years, then I cannot leave weightlifting midway.
- His mother worked as a temporary cook in the village school at a salary of Rs 2500 per month and sometimes worked in the rice fields at a daily wage of Rs 150–200 to support her family.
- She used to share balms, kits and shoes with her friend Dimpy Dutta at SAI Training Centre, Golaghat, Assam, and travel by train to save money.
- His coach Daljit Barua sent him weightlifting equipment worth Rs 53000 during the COVID-19 pandemic so that he could train regularly.
- When he got a job in Indian Railways in 2021, he spent Rs 23000 to perform puja and organize a feast in the village.
- On 18 December 2018, he created a national junior record in snatch type lifting in the 59 kg category at the Junior Nationals in Nagpur by lifting 84 kg, and on 4 February 2020, he created a national junior record by lifting 94 kg. In snatch type lifting in 59 kg category in Senior National in Kolkata.
- He is a dog lover and has a pet dog.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn