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What’s the story?
A driver in the forest department, A Manimaran, won a silver medal in the Asian Powerlifting Championship that was held in Udaipur in Rajasthan. The 45-year-old won gold in squats, a silver medal in deadlift and another silver in bench press, which earned him a silver medal in the tournament.
In case you didn’t know…
The native of Ponmalai in Trichy, Manimaran was employed as a driver in the forest department in 2009 through the sports quota. He had a gold streak from 2000 to 2007 in the all-India Forest meet, helping him get noticed.
He developed an interest in weightlifting after his class 12 exams and since then, regularly won medals in the All-India university tournaments in the category. The win in Udaipur is Manimaran’s first international medal.
The heart of the matter
Powerlifting is not an Olympic sport even though it is taken up by both men and women in various weight categories. The Asian Powerlifting Federation and Powerlifting India organised this event in India from May 1 to May 6, where more than 250 athletes from 14 countries are participating. Despite that, all the three medal winners so far have been Indians, which, considering the competition from countries like Indonesia and Philippines, is a laudable feat indeed.
Dayanand Reddy, participating in the 74kg category, lifted 577.5kg in the Master 1 category, which helped him bag silver. D Praveen Yadav lifted 570kg in the sub-junior category and won another silver.
What’s next?
As of now, powerlifting as a sport does not seem to have a bright future as the International Olympic Committee chose kabaddi for the 2024 Olympics. However, the Indians are confident that the sport will get recognition in due time and that the nation will be a force to reckon with in the grand stage.
Author’s take
Participating in the Asian Championships is a huge deal in itself and to return with a medal is an even greater achievement. The man in question often took time out for the sport after his duties in the forest were over and despite knowing that the future of the sport is not that bright, never gave up on his passion.
Manimaran stands as an inspiration for all and despite his age, has proven that hard work always bears fruit.
