Bikaner – At the Khelo India University Games Rajasthan 2025, Rinki Nayak, competing for Berhampur University, captured a silver medal.
The event held on Tuesday was more than a mere podium finish; it represented the finish line of a four‑year ordeal filled with defeats, sorrow, and relentless determination.
In her debut KIUG appearance, the 23‑year‑old lifted a total of 149 kg (63 kg Snatch, 86 kg Clean & Jerk) to finish second in the women’s 48 kg division. She trailed Shivaji University’s Kajol Magadev Sargar (158 kg) and edged past Chandigarh University’s Rani Nayak (148 kg) at the Indoor Hall of Maharaja Ganga Singh University in Bikaner.
Rinki’s competitive résumé also boasts a gold at the ASMITA league for women weightlifters. ASMITA—Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through Action—is part of Khelo India’s effort to uplift women’s sports across India.
The value of her silver medal transcends the numbers on the board. On July 24, 2020, after a training session, Rinki’s world turned upside down when she discovered her father, Niladri Nayak, had taken his own life.
His life had been weighed down by relentless family pressure, especially the unwavering support he offered Rinki’s dream of sporting success. From the beginning, Niladri cheered her through school athletics and later when she switched to weightlifting.
The next two years proved the darkest chapter of her life. Depression took hold, grief was hard to process, and she endured her mother’s strong opposition to a sports career. Yet she clung to her father’s faith in her and the tight circle of friends, coaches, and supporters who refused to let her give up.
Thus, Rinki’s KIUG silver comes on the heels of a recent ASMITA gold. The 2020 tragedy had nearly derailed her trajectory, but encouragement from friends and coaches helped her reclaim focus.
Cut off from family ties—her mother even blocked her calls—Rinki, eldest among four siblings, avoided returning home for two years, dedicating herself entirely to the sport. She began with a handful of tournaments, regaining her drive over time. She now attributes her comeback to the Odisha government’s support, which has removed concerns about food, accommodation, training, and nutrition. Her training base is the Biju Patnaik Weightlifting Hall in Bhubaneswar.
“This was my first Khelo India University Games, and winning silver here feels special. The goal was gold, but silver means I need to work harder on my weaknesses. The journey hasn’t been easy, and I’m grateful for the government’s support over the years,” Rinki tearfully told SAI Media.
Elaborating on her path, the Berhampur native explained, “I began with athletics in school, but my teacher suggested I try weightlifting. My father backed my sports ambitions, but my mother was uneasy and never truly approved of me becoming an athlete.”
“Gradually, home life declined, and because my father was employed in a private firm in Visakhapatnam, I lacked direct family support. During the lockdown, when he returned, the situation deteriorated further, and ultimately he could not bear the family pressure. I was training about 3 km from our home during that period, and on July 24, after returning from a session, I discovered he was gone,” Rinki recounted, tears streaming as she recalled that fateful day.
“For a while, I couldn’t compose myself; every time the memories surfaced, I was mentally troubled, falling into depression. Returning to normal life was hard, but my friends and coaches stood by me throughout that period,” she added.
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