Srinivasa Gowda has his own challenges

Captain (In) Ajay Kumar Bahl, senior director at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Southern Centre here, called Kambala jockey Srinivasa Gowda a good talent but stressed that it’s far too early to see him as a medal hope in athletics.

Gowda, who turned into an overnight sensation with his blistering pace in a Kambala race on February 1 in Moodbidri, has decided to complete his racing assignments before thinking of attending trials at SAI.

“SAI is ready to welcome him anytime. We will go all out to nurture his talent for a podium finish. He is talented, no doubt. But nothing else can be said as of now. We need to assess him and see how he can perform,” said Ajay.

Having reportedly covered 100 metres in 9.55 seconds, Gowda had the entire nation in a frenzy. Not discounting his performance, Ajay said that adhering to the technical demands of athletics will be Gowda’s biggest test.

“He needs to learn a lot of things. For someone who has run barefoot till now, he needs to start running well in shoes first and then switch to spikes. He has run in a rural kind of environment and in water, to be specific,” he explained.

“Dynamics of both the races are different. Here (in Kambala), there is a bull, who he needs to hold and run. But the 100 metres sprint on the track is a different ball game. We have all the facilities in SAI to back him and it’s up to him to adapt,” he added.

A construction worker in Ashwathpura village, Gowda’s shift could bring in its own challenges given his background. Ajay said that SAI will be aiming to make Gowda comfortable with the professional settings before putting him in trials.

“He is from a rural environment. Getting him into a formalised set-up will take time. It takes effort from his end as well. We will expose him to sports science, sports medicine and the best of the diet. He has to be groomed completely,” said Ajay.

Starting his sporting career from scratch at the age of 28 might put Gowda far behind in the competition. But he has a lot going for him, felt Ajay. “I agree that age is not on his side. But there are various other things that could work for him. He is well built. He isn’t from a great financial background. That could make him hungry for success. All these things matter,” he reasoned.