Truck Driver Takes Rs 4 Lakh Loan to Fund Son’s Journey to Commonwealth Powerlifting Gold

The son of a truck driver from Rajasthan has won a gold medal in the Junior 120kg powerlifting category at a Commonwealth competition in Canada, overcoming financial hurdles with the support and sacrifice of his family.

Mahesh Kumar Beniwal, who hails from Padiyal village in Jodhpur and studied in Udaipur, secured the top position among seven competitors in his category. His father, a truck driver, took a loan of around Rs 4 lakh against his truck to finance his son’s international participation.

The family arranged nearly Rs 6 lakh in total, combining the loan with personal savings, to send Mahesh to Canada.

Mahesh recorded a 280-kg squat, a 172-kg bench press and a 300-kg deadlift during the competition. His deadlift contributed significantly to his overall performance. He was the only athlete from Rajasthan competing in the Junior 120kg category.

His selection for the international event followed his performance at a national-level competition in Hyderabad in July, where he competed against seven athletes in the same category.

Mahesh trains under head coach Gurvinder Singh, a Railways coach based in Ambala. He began training with him in Delhi in February and continued his preparation through online guidance after returning to Jodhpur.

Alongside his sporting career, Mahesh is pursuing a Master of Arts degree at Vidya Bhawan Rural Institute, where he enrolled last year. He credited the institute’s manager, Rajendra Bhatt, as well as Kanika Sharma and physical education teacher Neeru Shrimali, for encouraging him to continue training despite financial difficulties.

Mahesh’s gold medal marks a significant achievement for the young powerlifter, while his family’s efforts helped make his international participation possible.