Assam’s Pallavi Payeng Wins Silver at Khelo India Tribal Games

Guwahati: Assam weightlifter Pallavi Payeng has clinched a silver medal in the women’s 69kg category at the inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games held in Chhattisgarh's Raipur.

After the victorious performance, she termed her achievement a turning point, and said the medal has boosted her confidence.

“The Khelo India Tribal Games silver is a breakthrough moment for my career, as this gives me the confidence that I belong to this level,” she said on Monday.

Pallavi Payeng, who belongs to Assam’s Mising community, began her weightlifting career in 2018 and soon gained recognition in state-level tournaments. However, her rise was temporarily halted by the COVID-19 lockdown, a period during which she also became a mother.

Speaking about her return to the sport, she said it was a difficult phase.

Payeng credited her family for supporting her comeback, especially her husband, a former national-level boxer, and her mother, who looks after her child during competitions.

Her return to competitive weightlifting was not without setbacks. In 2023, Payeng finished sixth at the state championships in Golaghat and faced difficulties at a competition in Dibrugarh the following year.

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