Vizag: City lad wins gold medal in weightlifting at int’l event

Visakhapatnam: Rayi Ganesh (27) from Zakir Hussain Nagar of Marripalem brought glory to Visakhapatnam by winning a gold medal in the Sanyukta Bharatiya Khel Foundation (SBKF) Pokhara-Nepal 8th International Games held in Nepal recently. He proved that poverty stands as no barrier to reach heights. Despite the challenges, his regular practice and steps towards achieving his targets made him achieve his goal. Ganesh could not pursue his studies after completing the SSC due to financial constraints at home. However, he was always passionate about powerlifting and worked hard right from the beginning.

Speaking to The Hans India, Ganesh said, “My goal is to win gold medals in Asian Championship and Commonwealth Games as a top powerlifter.” From 2020, Ganesh has been practising powerlifting on a regular basis and he says that there are no Gurus for him as he is a self-trained athlete.

Ganesh says that he will go further if proper encouragement is provided by the Central and State governments.

Ganesh participated in the 8th International competition of SBKF held in Pokhara, Nepal. Athletes from different countries participated in the competition. Ganesh participated in the weightlifting competition held on October 7 and bagged a gold medal.

Lauding the achievement, Zakir Hussain Nagar Masjid-e-Al Qadeer committee members felicitated Ganesh in the premises of a mosque.

The Muslim community residing at Zakir Hussain Nagar appealed to the government to encourage skilled sportsmen who could not pursue their passion due to financial difficulties and help them fulfill their dreams.