A ramshackle gym in a village in Western Maharashtra is fast becoming the gateway to India’s weightlifting future.
On 6 August, Kurundwad village in Kolhapur district erupted into a frenzy of activity after Ganesh Mali, Chandrakant Mali and Omkar Otari arrived home as conquering heroes.
The trio won bronze medals in the 56 kg, 94 kg and 69 kg weight classes respectively at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. They were feted in an open jeep during a crawl-around that lasted several hours. Billboards featuring their images have mushroomed in the area, overwhelming those of politicians.
“It is a collective effort. Their achievements are the germination of the hard work put in by others for nearly two decades,” remarks Pradeep Patil, who ‘founded’ Hercules Gym in 1978 owing to his passion for fitness.
Bereft of state and government funding, hamstrung by injuries, consigned to shoddy dormitories (six in a room) in Glasgow, the trio’s victory at Glasgow has emphatically reinforced the underdog narrative in non-cricket Indian sports.
“The boys have trained with rainwater seeping through the tin roof,” says Mr. Patil.
“The government and the well-heeled public could certainly do with a bit of attention here instead of ravishing all attention on cricketers, even when they score ducks,” quips Vishwanath Mali, an instructor who has played a vital role in the saga of Hercules gym.
With characteristic modesty, Mr. Patil recounts how he and his associates operated the gym from a tin shed used for storing PVC pipes. Today, this Spartan training ground plays host to the weightlifting aspirations of 40 young boys and girls in Kolhapur district.
“Technical knowledge, while essential, was not enough. I realized this when our boys, lacking the wherewithal of weightlifters from Delhi and Patiala, performed superbly at the national level,” says Mr. Patil, who reminisces about the many hours spent surfing the internet to educate himself about the rudiments of weightlifting.
“Weightlifting is a game which produces slow results and is extremely taxing on the body. One needs to remind weightlifters how fleeting careers can be. Chandrakant and Omkar battled severe injuries to best the odds at Glasgow.” Given the high burnout rate, Mr. Patil does not want to commit his boys and girls to every event on the block.
“Our next target will be the CWG in 2018. We’re aiming for no less than five medals this time,” he confidently asserts.
At the same time, he does not believe in craven submissions to secure financial aid.
“The boys know it and I know it. This place is their karmabhoomi from where they will have to give back to their country, no matter what the obstacles are,” he poignantly remarks.
