Tirupati: Despite all hardships, Kumar, a native of Tirupati in Chittoor district, aspires to make it through to the International level in weightlifting.
Kumar set his goal to be a weightlifter in his childhood, when his mother told him to be like Karnam Malleswari. However, his financial conditions proved to be an obstacle.
Kumar's father is the breadwinner of the family, and is an auto driver by profession. Despite all the odds, Kumar never gave up on weightlifting. Due to lack of proper equipment, Kumar's mother sold her gold ornaments and bought the gym equipment to encourage her son.
At the age of 25, Kumar could lift a weight of 110 kg, and with lots of practice, he increased it to 180 kg. He has won 44 medals so far in various competitions at the district and state levels.
However, due to lack of facilities in Chittoor district, Kumar has to travel to Guntur and Vijayawada for training.
Kumar has won many state-level medals in weightlifting, but his laurels have not helped him on the financial front.
He worked as a labourer and instead of relying on his father. With his income, he is training 14 other boys in weightlifting.
Though he is 35-years-old now, he still aspires to reach international levels. Kumar says that presently, he can lift a weight of 180 kg. If he can succeed in lifting 200kg, it will earn him a ticket to national and international competitions.
He is seeking government assistance for proper diet with protein-packed food and supplies for weightlifting.
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