HYDERABAD: Weighing close to 105 kg, powerlifter Y Raghavender Goud was hell-bent on bagging gold at Asian Powerlifting Championship held in Rajasthan last week. But the odds were against him. Participating with an injured shoulder, Goud had to settle for a Bronze medal, his second at the same event.
Goud was one among five powerlifters who made Hyderabad proud at the event that saw the participation of more than 15 Asian nations. “The fight was tough in the senior opens,” says Goud. “Lifters from Iran and Kazakhstan were stronger and they bagged the first two places. If I had no injury, the outcome would have been certainly different.” Goud lifted a total weight of 860 kg in three separate events —back squat, bench press, and deadlift.
Powerlifting, as a form of sport, is gaining increasing global attention and there’s growing clamour for it to be included in Olympics. The sport has been popular among enthusiasts in Hyderabad for quite sometime now, but performing professionally is no joke. It requires serious investment in the form of training and a very high calorie diet.
To compete in heavyweight categories, powerlifters need to maintain enormous body weight. And during preparation of competitions, they are required to consume high carbohydrate and protein diet totalling a whopping 5,000 to 6,000 calories a day. The average cost incurred on maintaining the diet itself ranges from Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 a month, say many lifters.
“The meat, eggs, protein shakes, dry fruits and fruits cost me about Rs 50,000 per month. To meet those expenses, I run a mobile accessory shop,” says Rabban Quadri, who weighs about 130 kg. Quadri, who bagged the silver medal in the 125(+) weight category by lifting 880 kg, says he has to eat five full meals a day. And that is not a cheap affair.
Lifters rue that despite winning medals and bringing glory to the city and State, they barely get any support from the government. “I have been in the sport for 11 years now, but I still depend on private sponsors. Other State governments, like Haryana and Kerala for instance, have been giving cash prizes for powerlifters and encouraging them by offering jobs,” says Raghavender Goud. The State powerlifting federation also says that no funds have been released to them.
“Even the expense of travelling to participate in competitions have to be borne by the lifters,” says Shankar Yadav, President of Telangana Powerlifting Federation. “Also, the gyms provided by the sports authority are ill-equipped for their training needs,” Yadav adds. The lifters also noted that while several State governments provide job opportunities for athletes who have excelled in their fields, Telangana is yet to introduce a similar initiative.
“There is a two per cent reservation in jobs for sportspersons. The file was recently signed by officials and would be implemented soon,” says the chairman of Sports Authority of Telangana State A Venkateshwar Reddy.
Proposal to collect 0.75 paisa cess on liquor bottle
The Sports Authority of Telangana State (SATS) is going to submit a proposal to collect 0.75 paisa cess on every liquor bottle by the State government. “The sports authority would get about Rs 120 crore if that cess is claimed, which would give a huge boost to sports in the State,” said Venkateshwar Reddy.