The makings of a champion

 The Mahbubabad native, who currently trains at Vijayawada, Sukanya’s shot to fame is that she is the first lambada girl from the two Telugu-speaking States to take to the sport as a career option. A late entrant to weightlifting, she has shown a natural dexterity for it, which gets evidenced by the silver finish in the first Telangana Junior State Weightlifting Championship at Khammam in December 2014, the year she took to the sport, full-fledged.

She has come a long way in these four years, a period in which she won several medals along the way.  The career rise achieved its international icing on the cake when she beat competition from hundreds of contenders from all over the world to win an envious silver medal in the 15th International Women Weightlifting Grand Prix that concluded in the Spanish city of Tenerife on Sunday.

‘I am humbled. I have a long way to go. I am thankful to my coach, (VN) Raja Sekhar Sir for being the guiding force since the time I came under his wings. I am determined to go places and reach the top echelons,’ declares the soft-spoken Sukanya while flashing the Spanish conquest in Hyderabad on Wednesday.  

Competing in the 90kgs class, Sukanya won the silver medal with an overall aggregate of 160kgs, which included snatch 75kgs and clean & jerk 85Kg. Needless to say, that is a very credible accomplishment for the 22-year-old, who has been sponsored by CBR Prasad, who runs an academy in Vijayawada.

Moreover, this stands testimony to her inherent skills considering that she finished sixth in her maiden international outing, which was in the previous edition of IWW Grand Prix that was conducted in Germany’s Nagold from June 13 to 16 last year.

‘I have completed BA from IGNOU and wish to go in for post-graduation so that I would have a secure income in the future,’ points out the girl, while Raja Sekhar adds ‘she is endowed with the right techniques. With some more international exposure, I am sure she will consolidate her position in the higher league.’

However, despite Prasad’s gesture and her being in a residential school, the girl’s family is hard-pressed when it comes to travels abroad. 

Perhaps, the State Government should take note of this lifter’s proven potential and rise to the occasion by pitching in with timely assistance given the meteoric rise of this tribal girl, so that Sukanya can stay focussed on weightlifting and earn global fame for the State and India.   

 ‘My immediate aim is to win laurels in the ensuing National Championship and prove my worth in this year’s World University Games,’ points out Tejavath Sukanya brimming with new-found confidence.