Four from Mangaluru, Udupi win medals at Asian Classic Powerlifting Championship

Mangaluru, Dec 12: As many as four athletes from Karnataka’s twin coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi have bagged gold and other medals in the Asian Classic Powerlifting Championship.

Sportspersons from over 15 countries had taken part in the Championship held in Kerala’s Alappuzha from December 4 to 9.

Veniziea A Carlo, a student of second year pre-university in St Agnes College, Mangaluru, bagged a gold medal in sub-junior category of 57kg. Her previous achievements include grabbing a gold medal in National Sub-junior Powerlifting Championship held in Chandrapur, Maharashtra. Her father Vincent Prakash Carlo trains her himself.

Pradeep Kumar Acharya, who works as a fitness instructor in Mangaluru, is another medallist. His mother is a tailor. He started powerlifting in 2013. His earlier achievements include winning a gold medal in Commonwealth Powerlifting Championship in South Africa in 83kg category. 

In the Asian Classic Powerlifting Championship, he won a bronze in raw squat category by lifting 235 kg. "The competition was tough. Participants from five countries were competing in my category and I am happy that I was able to win a bronze," he said.

Vishwanath B Ganiga (25) from Kundapur in Udupi district won a gold and a silver medal. He participated in the senior 83 kg category and won gold in raw deadlift and silver overall. 

He works as a system engineer in a software company in Bengaluru. He had earlier won gold in Commonwealth Powerlifting Championship held in South Africa.

Ashok G V has bagged a gold medal in the masters category. The 55-year-old is a Canara Bank employee in Kundapur in Udupi district. His previous achievements include winning a silver medal in the Asian championship held in Hong Kong in 2015. He competed in Masters 2 category (30-60 years).