Bangalorean won a gold at the Commonwealth Games in the discuss throw event
: For Vikas Gowda, the discus throw gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games at Glasgow, Scotland, is the spoils of a career-graph that has been on the upswing in the last few years.
Till 2010, Gowda’s finest moment had been the 2005 Asian Championships at Incheon in South Korea, where he finished second. In the last four years, however, the Bangalorean has recorded six podium finishes in international events.
Speaking to The Hindu from Glasgow on Friday, Mr. Gowda said: “This is an exciting victory, a huge moment. The gold medal will boost my confidence ahead of the World Championships and the Asian Championships.”
The 31-year-old added that he was especially pleased to overcome the “rain and slippery conditions,” which severely hampered his throws.
Despite the victory, Mr. Gowda will look to improve on his 63.64 metre heave at Glasgow. The distance — it did the job, but was hardly awe-inspiring — must be pushed into the 66–67m bracket if he is to grab top honours in upcoming competitions. However, given his desire to “peak at the right time,” an improved showing could well be on the cards.
Meanwhile, the government has announced a Rs. 25-lakh reward for Mr. Gowda and a Rs. 15-lakh reward for Prakash Nanjappa for his silver medal in the men’s 10m air pistol shooting event at the Commonwealth Games.
(The Hindu)
