Mysuru: Gururaja, from Karnataka who won silver in the men’s 56kg category weightlifting event at the 2018 Commonwealth games had also once been a star performer in the annual state-level dasara weightlifting competitions, which for various reasons has been discontinued over the last two years.
Most of the outstanding sports persons from Karnataka who represent the country mostly have one thing in common and that is their opportunity to have performed during the Dasara sports meet and Gururaj from Udupi is no different.
The Udupi lad who brought home the first medal in the ongoing Commonwealth games at Goldcoast in Australia had taken part in Dasara meet during 2013-14 and 2014-15 and bagged gold in 56kg weightlifting category.
Speaking to Newskarnataka Rajendra Prasad, Weightlifting Coach SDM Sports Club, who served as coach to Gururaja from 2011 to 2016 said that while he expected that Gururaj would strike gold in Australia as well, Gururaj did put up a magnificent show winning silver.
“During practice he had lifted 114kg and 146 kg with overall total of more than 263 kg which is more than that of his performance in the Commonwealth games. Still its great performance from Gururaja, representing Indian is in itself an achievement and getting a medal in commonwealth games is outstanding. This is just the start and I think he will bring many more medals and laurels for the country,” he said attributing large part of this success to Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Dr Veerendra Hegde of SDM Foundation, who had recently provided international standard weightlifting facility at a cost of over Rs 70 lac.
With Gururaj making it big at at the CommonWealth Games, the debate of why weightlifting competition has not been conducted in Dasara meet has shot back into discussion.
Last two years, Dasara sports committee failed to conduct state level dasara weightlifting competition. The reason the organizers say is they have not got grants from state government.
The outstanding show put up by Gururaj now underlines the need to start the event in state Dasara meet as well, keeping all the reasons aside, say many.
