Weightlifting champion Arun Santa given hero’s welcome at Berhampur

Arun Santa, the young weightlifter who broke two national records and won three gold medals in recent Youth National Weightlifting Championship held in New Delhi, was given a hero’s welcome when he reached the city. Santa happens to be part of the sports hostel at Berhampur stadium. Arun Santa’s success has again proved that Berhampur continues to be a major cradle of weightlifting in Odisha. Sports enthusiasts in large numbers, especially weightlifters, reached Berhampur railway station to welcome the champion weightlifter.

Arun participated in the national championship in the 56-kg weight category. He lifted 100 kg in snatch and 120 kg in clean and jerk to win gold medals. He also won overall gold in his weight category with the total lift of 220 kg. His total lift and his snatch lift were new national records. Dharma Rao, the coach of Arun, said the young lad had showed sparks which indicate that he had the capacity to become an international- level weightlifter in near future. According to Mr. Rao, now Arun would target the Youth Olympics to be held in 2014. Arun’s intrinsic talent to become a sportsperson was identified during a talent search programme among school students way back in 2008.

Arun, who was studying in a school at village Talari near Umekote in Nabarangpur district of South Odisha had drawn attention of panel selectors of a talent search programme of the State government.

Weightlifting coach and in charge of Berhampur stadium S. Majhi, who was in this panel of selectors, said at that time Arun was not attached to any sport in particular but he had the stamina and talent to excel in any sport. After selection it was found that Arun would excel if he took up weightlifting as his sport. “Now success of Arun has proved that we were not wrong in spotting this raw talent,” said Mr. Majhi.

Source: The Hindu, Odisha TV