VIJAYAWADA: Pasupuleti Suresh, a techie-turned-powerlifter, who has won many awards in several state and national-level competitions and dreams, even at 40, of representing India at the Olympics and other international events, is on the verge of an emotional breakdown, with the first-ever opportunity he got to represent India in an international competition slipping through his fingers for want of money required to pay the participation fee to the authorities for entry in the tournament and of course for passage money and meeting other expenses.
Hailing from the small town of Sattenapalli in Guntur district, Suresh proved his mettle by winning medals at three national-level and three state-level competitions. Driven by passion, Suresh left his well-paid job of an IT professional for a career in the lesser-known world of powerlifting. “I was 13 when I started hitting the gym. I won Mr. Guntur title in 1999, along with medals in boxing,” Suresh said.
The powerlifter is the only competitor from Andhra Pradesh selected in 83 kg category for the International Equipped Bench Press Championship. However, he may not be able to fulfil his dream of competing in the championship to be held at Potchefstroom city of South Africa from April 22 to 28. With the last date to pay the fee of `1.1 lakh to Powerlifting India for the trip, inching closer, Suresh has been running from pillar to post in search of sponsors, who can support him with donations and help him participate in his maiden international sports event. Also, he requires `4 lakh for meeting flight charges and other expenses.
“I have always wanted to represent India in big events like Olympics. I could not meet the expenses to participate in the championship as I left my job in Pune three years ago,” he says.Suresh is also one of the seven athletes who qualified for the Asian Powerlifting Championship to be held at Udaipur in May. Exuding confidence ahead of the championship, Suresh says he can easily bench press 180 kg, squat and deadlift 250 kg. “I’m pretty confident that I can win a medal in the tournament. All I need is a little financial support.”
However, all his hopes came crashing down when the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) and political parties turned a blind eye to his pleas. “I knocked on the doors of everyone I could, but to no avail. SAAP officials asked me to bear the expenses for now and said that they will reimburse the money later,” he said.
Poverty couldn’t stop this achiever
Hailing from the small town of Sattenapalli in Guntur district, Suresh proved his mettle by winning medals at three national-level and three state-level competitions
Driven by passion, Suresh left his well-paid job of an IT professional for a career in the lesser-known world of powerliftingSuresh currently works as a freelancer