Business Standard

Jr Commonwealth Weightlift winner faces official apathy

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Press Trust of India Kendrapara (Odisha)

Still he remained unsung and unnoticed. Authorities here forgot to show courteousness towards a champion. None turned up to receive Achyutananda Sahoo.

From Bhubaneswar airport, he travelled in a bus to Kendrapara. As he alighted, there were none from the officialdom to greet him on homecoming.

Hugged by close relatives and friends at the local bus stand, he hired an auto rickshaw to his native village Manipura under Derabish Block headquarters of this coastal district.

The 18-year-old, whose parents struggle to make both ends meet, bagged gold medal in 62 KG category at the junior commonwealth weightlifting championship which recently concluded in Samoa, an island country in Africa.

 

Sahoo, undergoing training at army training sports institute in Pune, had also won gold at Commonwealth youth weightlifting championship at Cape Town.

The teenager has put his native village on the world map as the locals have erupted in joy after his success.

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First Published: Jun 17 2012 | 1:05 PM IST

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