Shillong: Meghalaya athlete Sandeep Sharma brought laurels to India by clinching the gold medal in the 24kg Snatch Half Marathon event at the Kettlebell World Championship 2026, held in Chisinau, Moldova, from June 4 to 7.
Competing in the 74kg to 87kg+ bodyweight category, Sharma delivered a standout performance, completing 300 repetitions in 30 minutes and surpassing his previous personal best of 228 repetitions, which he had recorded in Italy last year.
The Kettlebell Snatch Half Marathon is regarded as one of the sport’s most gruelling disciplines, requiring athletes to perform continuous kettlebell lifts for 30 minutes without setting the weight down.
The victory marks a major milestone in Sharma’s career, earning him his first World Championship gold medal and his third overall podium finish at the prestigious event.
Sharma had earlier secured bronze medals at the World Championships held in Hungary in 2023 and Poland in 2024. In 2025, he narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing fourth at the championship in Italy.
This year’s championship witnessed participation from 27 countries, making Sharma’s achievement a significant accomplishment for both Meghalaya and India on the global sporting stage.
His gold-medal performance also highlights the growing presence of Indian athletes in endurance strength sports and adds another chapter to Meghalaya’s rising profile in international competition.
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