GUNTUR: A 25-year-old bodybuilder, Nissankararao Ravi Kumar, from Etukuru in Guntur, has demonstrated that Indian athletes can compete on the world stage, clinching the gold medal in the 65-70 kg category at the World Pro Show Bodybuilding and Fitness Championship in Chonburi, Thailand, last week.
His win has earned him widespread attention and admiration in India and beyond.
Kumar’s success didn’t happen overnight. He has been a formidable presence in bodybuilding for years, collecting an impressive array of medals across various platforms. His accomplishments include a silver at the 8th Mr & Mrs PHIL-ASIA 2023 in the Philippines and a bronze at Mr Universe in Pune in 2022.
Kumar also bagged a medal at Mr World in Uzbekistan in 2021, as well as at the Asian Bodybuilding Championships in Pune and Indonesia in 2019 and 2018, respectively.
On the national stage, he has won the Mr Andhra title 12 times.
Kumar’s journey to bodybuilding was inspired by a video of Arnold Schwarzenegger, which captivated him and steered him toward rigorous training at a local gym. Despite his humble background, with a father who is a lorry driver and a mother who is a homemaker, Kumar persuaded his family to support his pursuit of bodybuilding.
Though he initially took positions in the army and railways under the sports quota, he left them to fully dedicate himself to his bodybuilding career, even training under Mr. Olympia winner Pushparaj in Sri Lanka.
His journey gained momentum with sponsorship from ARJA Steels’ managing director Sridhar Krishnamurthy. Now, with a dream of winning the Mr Olympia title, Ravi
Kumar continues to represent India on the global bodybuilding stage.