SRIKAKULAM: The story of 19-year-old Mugada Sireesha, who won a bronze medal in the 400-metre sprint event at the Khelo India Youth Games 2022, sounds remarkably similar to that of Aamir Khan’s film Dangal, which shows the struggles faced by the Phogat sisters before winning medals for India.
Mugada Krishnam Naidu, a marginal farmer from Kovilamm, a remote village in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district encouraged his daughter Sireesha to take part in sporting events after observing her talent and interest in athletics.
With his encouragement, she participated in the district- and State-level tournaments and won several medals before being selected to be trained at the Sports Authority of India training camp in Hyderabad.
Life took a sudden turn for Sireesha when her father died in a road accident in 2019. She, however, kept her confidence. Seeing her grit and determination, her mother Gowreeswaramma, a daily wager, took up the responsibility of realising her husband’s dream of Sireesha representing India at the Olympics.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Sireesha said, "This (the bronze at Khelo India) is my fifth national-level medal and the first after I lost my father-cum-first coach. I've won at least 30 medals, including 26 gold in various State-level athletics meets."
Sireesha recalled that her father always used to tell her with a smile that she would represent India at the Olympics. "My father had a dream to see me representing India in international athletic meets and encouraged me in athletics since my childhood even if he faced a lot of criticism from his friends and neighbours for encouraging a girl in athletics," she said.
"He died in a road accident in 2019. I thank my luck that he had at least seen me win a gold medal in the junior national championship in Tirupati in 2018. After his sudden demise, two square meals a day has become a luxury for me," Sireesha said.
Aiming to beat Hima Das' record
Mugada Sireesha said that her aim is to beat sprinter Hima Das’s national record of 50.79 seconds in 400-metre race. She is now under Dronacharya Award-winning coach Nagapuri Ramesh's mentorship in Hyderabad.