Kambala jockey Srinivas Gowda, who has created a social media storm after his record-setting performance in a traditional buffalo race, has refused to undergo trials to be conducted at the SAI Centre in Bengaluru.
Gowda has drawn comparisons with Olympic sprint legend Usain Bolt after video clips of him running a distance of 100 meters in just 9.55 seconds evoked a social media frenzy, prompting Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju to ask SAI top coaches to conduct trials.
But, according to Sports Authority of India sources, Gowda has declined to take part in the trials.
"He (Gowda) has reached Bengaluru today to meet the Chief Minister. A team from SAI, Bengaluru is in CM's office to talk to him and take him to the SAI centre," the source told PTI.
"But apparently, he is not interested. We have also learnt that he is suffering from an injury."