Thorne’s ‘weight’y affair

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It may be sheer coincidence, but Girisha Hosanagara Nagarajegowda won India’s first medal at the ongoing Paralympic Games in London just hours after the International Powerlifting Federation vice-president Peter Thorne urged the government to influx more funds to paralympic sports.

Thorne, who is also the vice-chairman of the IBSA Powerlifting Committee, believes that it should be a government policy to support the athletes in paralympics.

“Compared to other Asian nations, the Indian government’s funding to paralympic sports is less. Most paralympic athletes come from financially backward situations and it is imperative to help these players,” he said.

Thorne was in Kozhikode to inaugurate the National Senior Powerlifting Championship.

“In the Rio 2016 paralympics, we are trying to introduce blind powerlifting. We are on the paper work and it will be announced shortly, if everything goes on as planned,” he said.

Moreover, there is a possibility that powerlifting would be included in the 2020 Olympics. Says Thorne, “India has a lot of potential in the sport.

Over the years, Indian powerlifters have won about 700 medals in various international competitions. I am sure about that India will win some medals in the World Games 2013 to be held in Columbia. Moreover, the associations here are doing a perfect job by giving word class training to the players,” he said.

“The country is in its infancy. However, the rest of the world can see a lot of potential in the country. I have been visiting the country for the past five years and I am astonished to see the growth of powerlifting here. India can become a major player in powerlifting,” he says.

However, he thinks doping is a major hindrance to the growth of powerlifting and all other sports.
“Athletes should abstain from it. The players must believe in their ability and not in drugs.

It is a food for cancer, dishonour to sports and the nation, and moreover to the player. If a player dopes, it shows that he does not believe in his own abilities. It is an unfortunate villain in any sports,” he explained.