Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Meet the teen powerlifting duo taking on the world

Kasha Sachdev, 15, started powerlifting at the age of eight and 13-year-old Noa Eappen was inspired to join her when she was 10

Meet the teen powerlifting duo taking on the world

Two young teenage girls with astounding strength can likely lift more than you.

Kasha Sachdev, 15, started powerlifting at the age of eight and 13-year-old Noa Eappen was inspired to join her when she was 10. The firm friends, trained by Sachdev’s professional power lifter and body builder father Nicholai Sachdev, have won multiple gold medals picking up heavy weights, along with becoming strong role models. Their achievements have included setting world records.


The Mumbai-based girls are looking forward to representing India for the first time internationally at the WPC-Powerlifting Open European Championship in June 2023. Eastern Eye caught up with the great symbols of girl power to discuss their weightlifting journey.

Lead Kasha Sachdev e0 1 1 Kasha Sachdev in action at the WPC Nationals in Bengaluru

Kasha, could you tell us what inspired you to start powerlifting?

Kasha: I had watched my father Nicholai Sachdev lift and strive for strength (and inherently, perfection) in the gym from a young age. I had the condition Genu Valgum, more commonly known as ‘knock knees’ and was put through two corrective surgeries for it. Physiotherapy and occupational therapy had been medically prescribed to me for rehabilitation, but my father, after copious amounts of research, thought it a better idea to train me in the gym.

How did you start learning to lift weight as an eight-year old?

Kasha: I started with simple movements, slowly progressing onto the three fundamental powerlifting movements, the bench press, squat, and deadlift. I progressively increased the weight and subsequently my strength. This, over the course of a few years, fixed my knees and developed my passion for powerlifting. It instilled my belief that everything happens for a reason; if it weren’t for my knee condition, it’s doubtful I would have taken up this fantastic sport of powerlifting.

Noa, what was the first thing that you liked about powerlifting?

Noa: The first thing I liked about powerlifting was how it made me feel. Powerlifting empowered me to know that I’m not like every other girl, but a strong teenager in a male-dominated sport, who can inspire other women to be strong and tough.

When did it become a passion?

Noa: When I first started powerlifting, I wasn’t sure if this is something I’d like to take up professionally. Slowly I realised the sport requires physical strength, but also requires mental will. I gradually began to hit bigger numbers and was hooked sooner than I thought. It made me happy to just be under the bar and push as hard as I could.

Lead Noa Eappen ge2 Noa Eappen in action at the WPC Nationals in Bengaluru

What has been your most memorable moment in powerlifting?

Noa: My most memorable moment has been winning three golds at the WPC Nationals in Bangalore. I was excited to win my first medal, but was even more thrilled as Kasha, who is like an older sister to me, also won gold in all three categories. We were both ecstatic for each other.

Kasha: Powerlifting, in my opinion, is very rewarding. I feel grateful just waking up feeling strong every day, seeing my lifts go up every week. All the victories in competition and various achievements are a reminder of all the hard work and dedication we put into training. That hard work gifts us moments we will never forget.

You train together in the gym. How much do you both motivate one another?

Noa: Kasha and I are like sisters, so we always have each other’s back. We push each other, but also cry together when we miss big lifts. When I lift, the loudest voice I hear is hers. I draw a lot of strength from her motivation.

How do you balance training with school?

Kasha: I train for a couple of hours, five to six times a week at 6.30am before school, and do cardio after school for an hour, alongside studying, tutoring, other extracurriculars, assignments and school in general. I manage the balance, but it does get tough sometimes. I try to schedule everything down to the minute, which helps me get a better hold on the tasks at hand.

How does it feel being stronger than your schoolmates, including boys?

Kasha: It now feels more normal. I’m very proud of those around me for normalising women empowerment, especially in fields where it was a social anomaly to have a woman contestant, in strength sports like powerlifting. This will, of course, be a long-lived fight for equal representation but it’s nice to see that other students aren’t shocked by a young woman competing in powerlifting and being relatively stronger than them.

What are your future hopes in powerlifting?

Noa: I don’t know how long I will be powerlifting professionally, but before that time comes, I have many more medals to win and competitors to beat. Right now, I am focused on competing internationally. I have the WPC European Powerlifting meet in Kyrgyzstan in June, where I hope to set a new world record in my weight category.

Powerlifting requires dedication. What is the secret of remaining motivated?

Kasha: To stay motivated, I try to maintain short-term goals, either with the weight I lift, or certain muscles I want to grow or strengthen. This gives me clarity and an immediate sense of success, which is so rewarding. Consistency and well-earned rests keep me motivated through months of long hours in the gym.

Why do you love powerlifting?

Noa: I love powerlifting because of the confidence I have gained through the process. It made me comfortable in my own skin. I’ve learned the value of discipline and drive. It has taught me that perseverance, hard work, grit, and regime will always pay off.

Kasha: It’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I love it for the challenges - powerlifting calls for physical and mental strength, endurance, and skill. I love the competitive spirit and sense of belonging powerlifting gives me. It makes me feel confident, beautiful, and strong.

Instagram: @noacanlift & @kasha_nia_sachdev

More For You

Ping Pong restaurant chain shuts all UK branches

The chain had also gained a following for its themed brunches

iStock

Ping Pong restaurant chain shuts all UK branches after 20 years

Key points

  • Chinese dim sum restaurant Ping Pong has closed all its UK locations
  • The chain made the announcement via social media
  • Founded in 2005, the brand thanked customers and staff for their support
  • Loyal diners shared memories and disappointment in the comments

All branches are permanently closed

Chinese restaurant chain Ping Pong has permanently closed all its branches in the UK, the company confirmed in a social media announcement.

Founded in 2005 by restaurateur Kurt Zdesar, the dim sum chain had become popular for its stylish interiors, creative menus, and Asian-inspired cocktails. The company did not provide prior notice of the closure but said the decision marked the end of an “unforgettable” 20-year journey.

Keep ReadingShow less
New Covid strain

Experts have raised concerns about the immune-evasive nature of the Stratus strain

iStock

New Covid strain Stratus spreads in UK with unusual hoarse voice symptom

Key points

  • A new Covid strain known as Stratus is spreading across the UK
  • The variant is marked by a distinctive symptom: a hoarse or raspy voice
  • Sub-variants XFG and XFG.3 now account for 30% of cases in England
  • Experts say there is no evidence of more severe disease
  • Lower immunity levels may make more people vulnerable to infection

Covid variant Stratus on the rise in the UK

A new strain of Covid-19, known as Stratus, is spreading across the UK and drawing attention for its unusual symptom — a hoarse or raspy voice. According to data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Stratus and its two sub-variants, XFG and XFG.3, are responsible for around 30 per cent of Covid cases in England.

Of the two, XFG.3 is currently the more dominant. The UKHSA confirmed that monitoring of all circulating Covid-19 variants is ongoing as part of regular surveillance.

Keep ReadingShow less
Human brain continues forming neurons

Neurogenesis, the process by which new neurons form in the brain

iStock

Human brain continues forming neurons well into old age, study finds

Key points

  • New neurons continue forming in the brain’s hippocampus into old age
  • Study confirms presence of neural progenitor cells in adults
  • DNA carbon dating and single-nucleus RNA sequencing were used
  • Research shows variation in neuron production between individuals
  • Findings could aid treatments for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders

Human brain shows ongoing neuron formation into older age

A new study has confirmed that the human brain continues to produce new nerve cells well into late adulthood, challenging previous assumptions about age-related decline in neurogenesis. The findings, published in the journal Science, provide fresh insight into how adaptable the brain remains over a lifetime.

Neurogenesis, the process by which new neurons form in the brain, is known to occur in the hippocampus — a region involved in memory. While previous research has suggested that this process continues throughout life, there has been limited concrete evidence of the presence of neural progenitor cells in the adult brain.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kent County Show 2025

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, who grew up in Brenchley

Getty Images

Kent County Show opens with royal visit from Duchess of Edinburgh

Key points:

  • Day one of the Kent County Show begins at Detling Showground near Maidstone
  • The Duchess of Edinburgh visits the event for the first time in 16 years
  • Organisers expect up to 70,000 visitors over the weekend
  • Farming and rural life are at the centre of the three-day programme
  • Highlights include live camel racing, equine sports, livestock displays and more

Kent County Show opens with royal visit

The Kent County Show returned to Detling near Maidstone on Friday, marking the start of a major three-day celebration of farming, food, and rural living. The event opened with a special visit from the Duchess of Edinburgh, who is attending for the first time in 16 years.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, who grew up in Brenchley near Tunbridge Wells and serves as patron of the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations (ASAO), met with farmers, equine exhibitors, and local businesses on her tour of the showground.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sri Aurobindo

Heehs’s biography is grounded in extensive archival research across France, England, India and Israel

AMG

Sri Aurobindo and the rise of the Asian century

Dinesh Sharma

My friend and colleague, the American historian Peter Heehs, who has lived in Pondicherry, India, for decades, recently published a compelling new biography, The Mother: A Life of Sri Aurobindo’s Collaborator (2025). Heehs previously authored The Lives of Sri Aurobindo (2008), which remains one of the most balanced and scholarly accounts of Aurobindo’s life.

According to Heehs, most previous biographies of the Mother were written for devotees and relied on secondary sources, often presenting her as a divine incarnation without critical engagement. “Such biographies are fine for those who see the Mother as a divine being,” Heehs said, “but they can be off-putting for readers who simply want to understand her life – as an artist, writer, spiritual teacher, and founder of the Ashram and Auroville.”

Keep ReadingShow less