Havildar Anuj Kumar wins gold in World Bodybuilding Championships

Havildar Anuj Kumar Taiyan, belonging to the Madras Engineer Group (MEG) of the Indian Army clinched a gold medal at the 11th World Bodybuilding Championships that was held at the Jeju Island in South Korea from November 5 to November 11. Competing in the 100 plus kg weight category, the Indian received a rousing welcome on Wednesday on his return to the country after the event.

Anuj Kumar had won the Mr India title in 2018 at the 12th National Body Building Championship that was held in Chennai last year. He was also named as the most improved athlete of 2018. He also won two national gold medal titles in the Services Championship last year to emerge as the Service Champion. The Army man was a runner-up in the Mr India competition that was held earlier this year and went on to win the Mr Saraighat title in April 2019. The gold medal in the national event helped him to qualify for the World Championships in South Korea.

Also read: America's bodybuilding champion sees promise among Indian bodybuilders

Trained by his elder brother Shyamveer Taliyan, Anuj resides in Sardhana district of Meerut. He was enrolled in the MEG of the Army in 2010 and it took him almost eight years to win his maiden medal in any international senior bodybuilding event. His next aim is to win the Mr Olympic title.

Bengaluru Defence PRO released a statement congratulating Anuj Kumar for the feat. “Havildar Kumar achieved this with his hard work and dedication, throughout eight years to become a champion for the first time in 2018. After becoming the Services Champion in 2018, there was no looking back for him,” the statement read.

Another athlete from the MEG, para-athlete Subedar Anandan Gunasekaran recently made India proud when managed to qualify for the Tokyo Paralympics after bagging three gold medals in the 7th Military World Cup that was held in China.

India also finished second in the 'Team Category' in the World Bodybuilding Championships, where participants from 35 nations took part. In the same event, Chitharesh Natesan from Kerala also bagged the Mr Universe 2019 crown.