Gururaja Pujari is a famous Indian weightlifter. In 2018, he came into limelight when he won the silver medal in the men’s 56 kg weight category at the Commonwealth Games held in Gold Coast, Australia. He came into limelight after winning the bronze medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, England.
Gururaja Pujari after winning bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Gururaj Pujari was born on Saturday, 15 August 1992 (age 30 years; as of 2022) in Vandase, Karnataka, India. His zodiac sign is Leo. He completed his primary education at the Government Higher Primary School at Vandase in Kundapur taluk and his high school education at Mookambika High School, Kollur. During his school days, his body was thin and short but he always fought against the bullies of his school without any fear. It was this spirit of Pujari’s that inspired his physical education teacher Sukesh Shetty to inspire Pujari to take up wrestling. Soon, he started practicing wrestling on clay and soil as his parents could not afford mats for him. They practiced according to ‘Gatta Gusti’ culture in South Canara and Kollur districts of Karnataka and North Malabar of Kerala. Later, he joined Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara (SDM) College, Ujire, to pursue a bachelor’s degree. In college, he began searching for a wrestling coach for professional wrestling training. Meanwhile, he joined a gym after college where he became friends with some famous weightlifters. Soon, he started meeting these lifters frequently. In 2010, he started practicing weightlifting under the guidance of Rajendra Prasad. Later, he represented his college in the weightlifting championship. In a media interaction, Gururaja Pujari said that during his college days he changed his interest from wrestling to powerlifting. He said,
I started going to the gym and met some powerlifters there. I soon started hanging out with them and doing power lifting myself.”
For P Gururaja, who started out as a wrestler before switching to powerlifting and then weightlifting, it has been a steady climb rather than a spectacular one.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 1″
Weight (Approx): 56 kg
Hair Color: Black
Eye colour: black
Family
parents and siblings
His father’s name is Mahabala Pujari and he works as a truck driver. His mother’s name is Paddu Pujari and she is a housewife. He has five brothers named Rajesh Pujari, Manohar Pujari, Mohan Pujari, Ravirajand Pujari and Uday Pujari. All his brothers are Kabaddi players.
Rajesh, Manohar, Mahabala (Gururaj’s father), Padhu Poojarthi (his mother), Mohan, Raviraj, and Uday Poojary.
Wife
he is not married.
livelihood
Indian Air Force
In 2015, Gururaja Pujari started serving in the Indian Air Force as an aircraft-man. Talking to the media, he told that he wanted to join the Indian Army but the problem of height inspired him to join the Indian Air Force.
weight lifting
In 2015, Gururaja Pujari participated in the Weightlifting National Championship held in Jalandhar and won the silver medal and All India University title. After this he participated in the Senior Level Weightlifting Championship held in Jaipur (Rajasthan) in 56 kg weight category and won the silver medal in 2015. In the same year, he participated and won the Senior Level Weightlifting Championship held in Patiala (Punjab). Bronze medal in 56 kg weight category. He started competing in senior national championships in 2016 and won a gold medal in a national weightlifting competition held in Tamil Nadu. She then competed at the Commonwealth Senior Weightlifting Championships and won the gold medal in 2016 in Penang, Malaysia with a personal best lift of 249 kg (108+141). During the same year, he participated in the South Asian Games held in Guwahati. Won gold medal in 56 kg category.
Gururaj Pujari after winning the gold medal in 2016
In 2017, he participated in the Commonwealth Championships held in Australia and won the bronze medal. In 2018, he competed at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia and won a silver medal in the men’s 56 kg weight category.
Gururaja Pujari after winning the silver medal in 2018
medal
Commonwealth Games
- Silver medal in 56 kg category in Gold Coast in 2018
- Bronze medal in 61 kg category in Birmingham in 2022
Commonwealth Championships
- Gold medal in 56 kg category in Penang in 2016
- Silver medal in 61 kg category in Tashkent in 2021
- Bronze medal in 56 kg category in Gold Coast in 2017
Facts/General Knowledge
- According to Gururaja Pujari, he got into wrestling in 2008 after being inspired by Indian wrestler Sushil Kumar after Sushil won the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics.
- His coach Rajendra Prasad revealed in a media interview that in 1999 Gururaja Pujari set a record for himself by lifting 193 kg (total in snatch and knee jerk) and broke his own record in 2012. He further said that Gururaja Pujari boosted his weightlifting. Power up to 125 kg in 2015.
- Soon after winning the gold medal at the Commonwealth Senior Weightlifting Championships in 2016, she told in a media interview that her family’s standard of living had improved after winning the gold medal. He said,
When I started weightlifting in 2010, things were tough at home. I needed money for my diet and supplements, but my father could not support me. We were a family of eight. “Things are better now.”
- After winning the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2018, he was awarded the highest sports award ‘Eklavya’ by the Government of Karnataka.
- Speaking to the media, Pujari revealed that he was a punctual student during his college days and attended classes regularly. He said that when he was pursuing his graduation, he was inspired by Indian weightlifter Vikar Thakur, who had won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games for the country. He further said that at that time his desire was to win a medal for India. He said,
Then Vikas Thakur won a medal in the last Commonwealth Games and I got inspired. I also wanted to win a medal.”
Gururaj Pujari being honored by Karnataka government officials
- Gururaja Pujari and his five brothers spent their childhood in poverty. Talking to the media, his mother told that the financial condition of her family improved only when her sons started winning medals for the country. He said that this is only the result of his sons’ hard work. He said,
Poverty is something we have lived with all our lives. If we had been even a little prosperous financially or had the necessary support and encouragement, perhaps all my sons could have made our country proud.
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Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn