Olympian weightlifter Karnam Malleswari on Thursday said that the crucial meeting with the Srikakulam District Collector will take place on May 23 which will give a final shape to the proposal for setting up an academy in the district.
Speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) board meeting at the IGMC Stadium here, she said that district administration was keen on granting 30 acres land at Srikakulam for an academy that houses weightlifting, wrestling, boxing and athletics. “The academy will take care of the sporting needs of the youth of nearby villages. The district has strong and tough youth and I want to provide a platform for them to train hard and excel at the national and international levels,” she added.
Malleswari, who won a bronze medal the 2,000 Sydney Olympics, said that weightlifting was predominantly a rural sport and girls from urban India hardly evinced interest. “This sport works as catalyst for the rural youth to make a mark. My podium finish at Sydney Olympics brought many rural girls to gymnasium. Several girls did well at both national and international arenas. The right age for a girl to enter weightlifting is 12 years.”
However the Arjuna and Padmasri awardee bemoaned rapid use of performance-enhancing drugs among the young weightlifters. “There is no shortcut to glory. Any dubious means of coaching will land you in trouble and would defame you. The side effects will be severe.”
She said some greedy coaches who wish to make a quick name and fame were luring the gullible lifters to drugs. “The weightlifters should be careful and should be aware of the repercussions. The anti-doping laws are stringent and harsh”.
She said Andhra Pradesh has the capability to emerge as a hub for weightlifting and said the new board of the SAAP under P. R. Mohan’s chairmanship was making efforts to bring transparency in the functioning of the authority.
Malleswari bemoans rapid use of performance-enhancing drugs among the young weightlifters
