Kiren Rijiju says ‘Officials from SAI Have Contacted Srinivasa Gowda’

New Delhi, February 15: Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Kiren Rijiju said that the officials from Sports Authority of India (SAI) have contacted Srinivasa Gowda, a Kambala jockey, and Gowda will reach at the SAI centre on Monday. "Yes, @PMuralidharRao Ji. Officials from SAI have contacted him. His rail ticket is done and he will reach SAI centre on Monday. I will ensure top national coaches to conduct his trials properly. We are team @narendramodi ji and will do everything to identify sporting talents!," Rijiju tweeted on Saturday. Gowda set the new record as the fastest runner in the history of the traditional sport as he covered 145 meters in 13.62 seconds at the Kambala competition.

He became overnight sensation and netizens compared him to the fastest sprinter in the world -- Usain Bolt and urged sporting bodies to take note of the jockey. Bolt holds the world 100m record of 9.58 seconds while Gowda covered the same distance in just 9.55 seconds during a Kambala competition. Kambala is an ancient, traditional buffalo race in muddy or slushy paddy fields of coastal regions of Karnataka.

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Earlier, Rijiju had written that Gowda will undergo trials for professional sporting competitions under the top coaches of SAI."I'll call Karnataka's Srinivasa Gowda for trials by top SAI Coaches. There's lack of knowledge in masses about the standards of Olympics especially in athletics where ultimate human strength & endurance are surpassed. I'll ensure that no talents in India is left out untested," Rijiju wrote.

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