17-Year-Old Madhura Kar Makes India Proud With Four Golds at Powerlifting Worlds

At an age when many teenagers are busy preparing for their Class XII exams, Madhura Kar was lifting hundreds of kilograms on the world stage—and making India proud.The 17-year-old powerlifter from Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, delivered a stunning performance at the IPF World Sub-Junior & Junior Classic Powerlifting Championships in Sun City, South Africa, winning four gold medals in the Sub-Junior Women’s 52kg category.Competing at a body weight of just 49.35kg, Madhura recorded an impressive 292.5kg total.Her winning numbers tell the story:Squat: 107.5kg — GoldBench Press: 60kg — GoldDeadlift: 125kg — GoldOverall Total: 292.5kg — GoldThat meant four events, four gold medals.A Champion From JalpaiguriMadhura is not new to the winner’s podium. A Class XII student at Techno India Group Public School in Jalpaiguri, she has already established herself as one of India’s promising young powerlifters. She won the National Powerlifting Championship in 2024 and successfully defended her title in 2025. Earlier this year, she also won gold at the National Bench Press Championship in Faridabad.Her international journey has been equally impressive. Before conquering the world stage in South Africa, Madhura competed at the Asian Powerlifting Championship in China, where she won a silver medal.A Young Star With a Big FutureWhat makes Madhura’s achievement even more remarkable is her age. At 17, she has already progressed from national champion to an international medallist and now a world champion. Her performance in South Africa is more than a collection of medals. It is a glimpse of what could lie ahead for a young athlete who has already shown remarkable strength, discipline and determination.For Jalpaiguri, she is a daughter making the town proud. For India, she is a young champion carrying the Tricolour onto the international strength-sports stage.And if these four gold medals are any indication, Madhura Kar’s biggest lifts—and biggest victories—may still be ahead.