Athletics
Should 'Kambala Jockey' Srinivas Gowda appear for national trials this year?
Gowda ran the 100m distance in just 8.96seconds. Now this is a timing unheard of anywhere in the world.
The Kambala jockey Srinivas Gowda shot to fame last year, when he ran a distance of 100m in just 9.55 seconds. This definitely raised a few eyebrows, for the timing was extraordinary and he was soon compared with Usain Bolt. FYI, Bolt's World Record stands at 9.58 seconds.
The comparisons with Bolt did not seem to stop anytime soon and fans even suggested Gowda to appear for national trails in athletics. Scratch that, even the Sports Ministry led by Kiren Rijijiu approached him to appear for the national trials.
Yes, such was the hype. And it was understandable, because covering 100m in 9.55 seconds is no joke.
But, Srinivas Gowda on the other hand plainly denied the opportunity to appear for the trails. He instead credited his buffalos for the speed and maintained that he wants to excel in his chosen sport rather than entering the field of athletics.
This surely left the much-eager sports fans in the country in disappointment and Gowda soon disappeared into oblivion.
Why is Srinivas Gowda in the news again?
Soon after his extraordinary feat the entire world went into a complete lockdown, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. While, this contributed to Gowda's memory fading in the minds of people the fact that he injured himself during one of the kambala races in January this year did not help his cause either.
But, Gowda is yet again back in the news. And this time, with an even bigger achievement.
This time around, Gowda ran the 125m long buffalo racing track in just 9.55seconds. Impressive, isn't it?
But, what if I tell you he ran the 100m distance in just 8.96seconds? Now this is a timing unheard of anywhere in the world.
It is just even bizarre to think of a human covering 100m inside 9 seconds; 8.96seconds is just insane!
Should Srinivas Gowda appear for national trials this time?
While, 8.96seconds is something which athletes and experts from across the globe cannot even comprehend of, an Indian from the small town of Moodbidri has just shown what it is possible.
But, should that warrant a national trial for Gowda?
Frankly, a lot of Gowda's speed has to do with the two buffalos pulling him ahead. Well, at least this was the scientific explanation given last year when Gowda sent the entire nation into frenzy.
And Gowda himself had accepted it back then when he credited his buffalos for his astonishing speed in the muddy tracks when he denied the opportunity to appear for the national trails.
But, the situation this time is different. Running 100m in 8.96 seconds even with buffalos pulling you is an insane timing. Whether Gowda should appear for the national trials this time around is a decision completely on him.
Instead of hyping up Gowda as the 'Next Usain Bolt', India as a country would rather be benefited, if the fans and government backed the already existing talent pool to come up with the goods.