Devi Prasad Chatterjee displays his skills in Dhanbad. Picture by Gautam Dey

The power to lift oneself out of poverty. That’s perhaps how Devi Prasad Chatterjee (32) defines powerlifting.

The strength sport gives the Dhanbad-based powerlifter gold medals, awards, a job and social standing. What Devi Prasad gives back to the sport is equally formidable — disciplined practice, a protein-rich diet that includes 20 eggs before a contest and training to around 70 aspirants.

Devi Prasad, who won gold at the National Deadlift Championship (March 28-April 1) in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh in the 105kg category, and another at Senior National Powerlifting Championship in Jamshedpur in February 23-26 by lifting 210kg, has dozens of awards under his belt. Not one to sit on his laurels, he is eyeing the Asian Powerlifting Championship in Udaipur from May 1-7, 2012, a tourney he won in 2009 in Chandigarh.

But his love for the sport goes beyond personal achievement.

After his day job as postal dispensary office assistant, India Post (Dhanbad), this enterprising young man trains for free as many as 70 budding powerlifters under the banner of Shanti Sangh at Katras. His student Somnath Chakraborty of Katras recently won the ‘Strongest Man of Jharkhand’ title.

Success, however, didn’t come on platter for Devi Prasad. After his father Basanta Kumar Chatterjee retired in 1997, the then 17-year-old of a struggling family went about teaching neighbourhood children vocal music to take care of his family expenses and save money for his sister’s marriage.

Yes, Devi Prasad holds degree in music, too. But while melody earned the teenager money, no exercise made him obese at 97kg.

At 18, he joined a local gym to lose that flab. That’s when powerlifting champion Manoj Gupta inspired him.

Fully supporting his shift from melody to muscles was his mother Shankari Chatterjee. “My father was initially aghast,” he recalled, chuckling.

From 1998 to 2001, he tried his luck at local contests but failed. But success, when it came, was spectacular. “I won the state powerlifting junior championship in Jamshedpur in 2001. I lifted 485kg,” he recalled.

Devi Prasad has never looked back since then, lifting weights over 750kg and 800kg with ease.

Interestingly, at 5’7’’, he weighs 98kg now, but it is all steely muscle.

In 2006, he got married and bagged a job in India Post under the sports quota. A complete family man with wife Sucheta and toddler son Abhimanyu, he said this “mental peace” helped his sport.

He has also won awards from India Post, including Dak Shree and the ‘strongest man of India (postal)’ title for two years, 2008 and 2011.

“There’s no substitute for hard work, right food intake, state encouragement and a good trainer,” Devi Prasad smiled, remembering mentor Prafful Kumar Pandey of Bokaro.

He missed out something else he has. Feet firmly on the ground.