51st Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championships Laitonjam Rishikanta grabs top spot against all odds
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 23 2017:
Laitonjam Rishikanta won the first prize in the junior 70+kg category while Gopu Srinivas (of Telangana), another Indian won the third prize in this category at the ongoing 51st Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Champion-ships in Seoul, South Korea .
It is a great honour for the young bodybuilder, who belongs to Patsoi Part IV.
Last month, while his opponents were slogging, he came out on the street seeking help from passers-by to sponsor him for the competition .
Meanwhile, he has been also selected to represent India at the 9th World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championships 2017 in Mongolia which will be held next month from October 2 to 9.In an interview, he revealed he was asked to pay Rs 1.50 lakh for the Asian Championship alone .
The second prize in the junior 70+kg category went to Ali Esmaeli of Iran .
Rising medal tally
In Seoul, the medals have been piling up for the Indian bodybuilders, with two more stars from Manipur alone, living up to the fans’ expec- tations.
Thingbaijam Sarita was placed in the third position in women's 52kg category, in which DK Loan of Vietnam grabbed the first position.
Sarita trailed another fellow bodybuilder, EP Bhowmik (from West Bengal) who managed to take the second spot.
A third Indian, Adwani Kanchi (from Maharahtra) took the fifth position in this category .
Despite losing the top spots, Sarita was luckier than Rishikanta as far as the difficulties in the pre-competition days are concerned.
As The Sangai Express reported, the Royal Fitness Academy Gym, Thoubal had provided her financial assistance as she was leaving for Seoul .
In the men's junior 70kg, the first two prizes went to the national bodybuilders: Mittal Kumar Singh (of New Delhi) took the first position while Leitanthem Dinesh secured the second position.
The duo was followed by Amarbat Byambabayar of Mongolia who grabbed the third spot.