KIYG gold lifter, Sonowal Chaiwala’s daughter is Mirabi Chanu fan

GUWAHATI: It was business as usual at this small tea stall that also serves lunch to workers around Jiadhol Chariali in Dhemaji until Bhopal-based owners Luhit Sonowal and his wife Budeshwari Sonowal. Never received a phone call with such pride and enthusiasm. Announced free tea for its customers for the rest of the day.
What prompted the celebration? Her youngest daughter, Panchami Sonowal, the current national record holder in the youth women’s 49 kg category, won a gold medal at the 4th Khelo India Youth Games in Bhopal.
Fresh off a successful campaign at the Junior and Youth Weightlifting National Championships where she won bronze and gold medals respectively at the Panchami events in Tamil Nadu in January, Khelo India looks to continue her dominance at the Youth Games (KIYG).
This was the 17-year-old Assamese lifter’s third attempt at KIYG after failing to achieve the desired results in the Guwahati and Pune editions. Although she missed the 2022 edition of the Games held in Panchkula, Haryana due to her board exams, she still wants to participate in next year’s edition.

“My parents are not aware of my competitions. For them, if I win a medal, it is a success, and even if I fail, they will continue to support me. Quite understandable, because they are from sports. Not related. But they have always focused on providing us with the best support and care. When I called my mother after winning the gold, she got emotional and called my father as he held back tears. Couldn’t,” Panchami Sonowal told Media after her recent success.
Panchami is the youngest of three sisters, who were married, and a brother Santosh (Sonowal), who earns his living as an auto-rickshaw driver. Santosh has an 8-year-old son, whom Panchami aims to raise as an athlete.
“Whenever I’m home, my nephew takes a keen interest in my training. He’s only 8 years old now, and I want him to be a sportsman, and make sure he learns to be independent and A lot to achieve,” he said.
Later in the conversation, Panchami reveals that the young boy was abandoned by his mother a year ago after an argument with her husband (Santhosh) and since then she and the family have been taking care of the child.
Beginning Life
Panchami was encouraged to take up the sport by a few of her friends and elders, who regularly spent their afternoons at Bhatgharia Sports Club in Dhemaji. She was 11 when she met her first coach, Dharmendra, who taught her the basics of weightlifting.
She soon appeared for trials at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Guwahati and made it to the junior camp in 2017 under Alakesh Bora. However, before she could complete her work at the SAI Centre, Covid-19 halted the Games across the world. By the end of the first phase of the lockdown, Panchami decided not to return to Guwahati and continued her training back at the Batagharia club, where it all began.

Under the tutelage of Sivasagar’s Duljeet Baruah, young Panchami made rapid progress, and in 2022, she started reaping the benefits of all her hard work over the years. At the first phase of the Khelo India women’s weightlifting tournament held in Himachal Pradesh, Panchami returned with a silver medal.
Panchami seemed to take second place with a pinch of salt, and after heading back to Dhemaji she redoubled her effort in the training session. And her dedication clearly paid off when she traveled to Noida for the second leg of the Khelo India Women’s Weightlifting Tournament.
Panchami not only won the gold medal in the 49 kg youth category but also ensured to rewrite the record books in the process. His total lift of 160 kg, including 68 kg in snatch and 92 kg in clean and jerk, set a new national record in the youth category.

At the Khelo India Youth Games in MP, Panchami’s total of 154 kg (65 kg in Snitch and 89 kg in C&J) was enough to win gold, but she is not too satisfied with the effort.
“I knew I could go for more, but we’ve got less than a month to train, and that might have an effect. The competition is always with me, I feel. That I have to improve myself at every opportunity,” he said.
Panchami knows that she is close to making it to the senior circuit and could take on her idol and Olympic silver medalist Mirabai Chanu, who also competes in the same weight division. The Assamese youngster is looking forward to interacting with the veteran Manipuri lifter, though she has seen his lifts up close when Mirabai won gold in the Himachal event last year.
“My sister is an inspiration, she has achieved so much after overcoming so many obstacles. I have yet to talk to her, but I have personally seen her lifts. Watch her train and perform. You can learn a lot of things by doing it,” he said.
For Panchami, the first goal at the senior level is a podium finish at the Commonwealth Games. “The first target is to win gold at the Commonwealth Games, as I prefer to take one step at a time.”

Hopefully, a gold in the CWG, where the level of competition is relatively low compared to Asiads and Olympics, will give him the wings to dream bigger.