• Rajyashree and Rakhi will compete in ASMITA league in different categories
• Rakhi Halder is a 2019 Commonwealth Games champion weightlifter
• At the national level, Rajyashree is having a good rivalry with international Rima Bhoi
Bikaner, November 27: For Rajyashree, weightlifting is more than a sport — it is a family thing! Moments after narrowly missing out on a gold medal in the women’s 58kg category, by just two kilograms in her maiden appearance at the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) 2025, she was immediately embraced by her mother and coach, Rakhi Halder, a six-time international medallist.
Remarkably, there is little time for celebration or reflection. Barely two days after the competition in Bikaner, Rajyashree and her mother will return to the platform once again, competing at the ongoing ASMITA Weightlifting League in Kolkata on November 28. To see mother and daughter competing in the same league is very rare, indeed!
A second-year Bachelor of Arts student at Adamas University, Rajyashree took up weightlifting six years ago and has often found herself finishing outside the top three at major competitions. Near-misses have become familiar, and on Wednesday, when she once again fell short, this time to Odisha-born international Rima Bhoi of Lovely Professional University by just two kilograms, she admitted that the silver medal would serve as motivation to improve further.
The rivalry between Rima and Rajyashree is, however, not new as both finished an identical 1-2 in the 59kg women’s category at Khelo India Asmita Women National Zonal League-2024-25 held in Brahmapur, Odisha.
“This was my first Khelo India University Games, and it feels good to get a silver. There is a reason for that, I have mostly finished fourth, fifth so far, so this silver is a special one. The last medal that I won was a bronze in the All India Inter-University championship,” Rajyashree said.
Rajyashree, who had also featured in the Khelo India Youth Games in Tamil Nadu, finished fourth in her category there as well. Born to powerlifter C Naveen Kumar, she is the elder of two sisters and trains at home in Kolkata under the guidance of her mother, Rakhi, the 2019 Commonwealth Championships gold medallist in the women’s 64kg category.
Growing up under the shadow of a decorated athlete has brought its own set of challenges. Rajyashree admitted that the weight of expectations often plays on her mind before competitions.
“There is mental pressure of performance, when people find my identity, they will count my mother’s achievements. I hope to live up to the expectations,” the soft-spoken lifter said.
Even as her campaign at KIUG concluded on Wednesday, Rajyashree has little time to rest. On Friday, the teenaged lifter will be back on the platform, competing in the women’s 58kg category at the ASMITA Weightlifting League, hoping to build on her momentum, with Rakhi cheering her on from the sidelines.
Later in the day, the 19-year-old Rajyashree will switch roles, from competitor to supporter, as her mother steps up to lift in the women’s 69kg weight division at the same competition, looking to add another medal to her impressive career.
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