Fresh from a successful campaign at the World Kettlebell Sport Federation (WKSF) World Championship 2026 in Moldova, Kolkata athlete Shivani Agarwalla returned home with a gold and a silver medal, while also using the occasion to call for greater recognition and support for lesser-known sports in India.Agarwalla, who represented India at the championship held in Chişinău, Republic of Moldova, from June 4 to 7, secured her seventh world championship gold medal in the kettlebell sport. Competing in the 12-minute military snatch event, she completed 222 repetitions with a 16kg kettlebell, earning gold in the Masters category and a silver medal in the open category, where athletes of all age groups compete.Addressing media persons in Kolkata after her return, Agarwalla demonstrated the military snatch technique and reflected on her achievements.One of 10 athletes representing India at the world championship, Agarwalla used the occasion to highlight the challenges faced by competitors in niche sporting disciplines.“If lesser-known sports like kettlebell can also be spoken about, there are a lot of able athletes in our country who can play this sport and put India’s name on the world map,” said Agarwalla.She also pointed to the financial barriers that prevent many athletes from pursuing competitive sport.“Because I am a chartered accountant, I can do it for myself, but a lot of other athletes cannot. So, it is a matter of recognition.”Agarwalla’s journey into the kettlebell sport began as a personal fitness goal. “I started my journey just to lose postpartum weight when my son was born.”“I would say that if you have a strong sense of ‘why’, you can endure almost any ‘how’. For me, my strongest sense of ‘why’ was I wanted to be a strong parent,” said Agarwalla.