KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s newest Asian powerlifting champion was forged not through government funding or major sponsorships, but through parents who sacrificed family expenses, grandparents who chipped in money, a university scholarship and a teenager working part-time to keep his dream alive.
Long before Eshwar Evan Dmitry Klokol stood atop the podium at the Asian Sub-Junior and Junior Powerlifting Championships in Hainan, China, back in May, his journey was already being shaped by sacrifices few outside his family saw.
The 17-year-old won two gold medals and the overall men’s Classic 93kg Sub-Junior title after lifting a combined total of 672.5kg, comprising a 245kg squat, 137.5kg bench press and a competition-best 290kg deadlift.
But behind the achievement was a family effort that saw his parents shoulder the costs of his sporting journey, from competition fees and specialised equipment to gym membership, nutrition, medical check-ups, and anti-doping tests.
“I am fully funded by my parents (Dr Dmytro Klokol and Dr Bawani Nesamany). I saw them cut out on many other expenses to pay for my gear, competition fees, school fees, university fees, gym membership, protein shakes, medical checkups, anti-doping tests and qualifying competitions. The list is long,” Eshwar said.
With two younger siblings at home, the family also stopped his music lessons to reduce expenses and focus resources on his powerlifting ambitions.
“My grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins cheered every lift and often gave me gift money, which helped pay for my equipment and competition expenses,” he said.
His first major institutional support came from Asia Pacific University (APU), which awarded him a 25 per cent tuition fee levy as a state athlete during his foundation studies. The assistance has since continued as he begins his Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering.
To further ease the burden, Eshwar works part-time at sports centres while balancing studies and elite-level training.
“Working part-time helps with weekly expenses. Those opportunities usually come through the lifting community, so I get to stay involved in the sport while earning some income,” he said.
“That support helps us stay motivated and work even harder.”
Eshwar only started training specifically for powerlifting in the middle of 2024 before making his competitive debut in October that year.
It was after breaking his division record by a huge margin at the national championships in May 2025 that he realised he could compete internationally.
“I knew I wanted to compete internationally after my first nationals. I broke the division record by such a big margin, and that was when I realised I was meant for this,” he said.
His victory in China saw him beat Russia’s Aleksei Terin (667.5kg) and Singapore’s Aiden Choy (662.5kg) to claim the overall title, while his 290kg deadlift was the heaviest lift across the Junior division.
The achievement also strengthened his standing among the world’s best young lifters. Eshwar is now a national record holder and ranked 17th in the world Under-18 category by total lift, improving 11 places from 28th last year.
Despite the demands of training, Eshwar said he never felt he was missing out on his teenage years.
“I was already used to the lifestyle of an athlete. I’d still spend time with my friends and family, but training and recovery always came first,” he said.
“I’ve never once thought about quitting. I love this sport too much.”
