Berhampur People: K Ravi Kumar (Spearheading the national weightlifting squad in CW Games)

International weight lifter K Ravi Kumar of Berhampur who has been selected to take part in the Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi in October is expecting to get the gold medal. "I am vying for the gold in the International event. I am confident about it," he said. Twenty-two-year-old Ravi is the only Oriya boy who was selected to compete in the CWG's 69 kg category. He figured in the 15-member weightlifting squad, declared by the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF). Hailing from Berhampur, Orissa, Ravi Kumar is a weightlifting trainer with the Army Sports Institute, Pune, and is a hot prospect for gold at the Games. At the recent selection trials, Ravi broke his own national record 5 times in the 69 kg category, making his selection a surety, and taking a definite step towards reaching the peak performance levels. Starting his career as a weightlifter from the Veer Hanuman Club in Berhampur about six years ago, he has established the brilliant track record with winning silver in the Asian Junior Men's weightlifting Championship held at Jordan in November 2007, gold medal in the WG held in Malaysia last year.

Sources: Hindustan Times, Times of India