Gowda trains under Godina, but wants award for his father

Sabi Hussain

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 15

India’s ace discus thrower and 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games gold medallist Vikas Gowda has recommended the name of his father, Shiv Gowda, for the prestigious Dronacharya Award. However, the thrower has been training with four-time world champion John Godina at the World Throwing Centre in Phoenix, USA, for the last five years.

There have been cases in the past when athletes recommended their close ones for the award. It’s no secret that the two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar has helped four coaches, including his father-in-law Satpal Singh, bag the coveted award for coaching him at different stages of his career.

In another instance, para-athlete coach Satyapal had staked claim to the award, saying he had trained Guangzhou Para-Asian Games gold medallist and Arjuna awardee Jagsir Singh. Later, Jagsir had to issue a statement saying he was never coached by Satyapal.

The latest addition to the list is Shiv Gowda, who has used the outstanding achievements of his son to apply for the award. But ever since Gowda moved to the US and started training at the World Throwing Centre, Godina, the two-time Olympic champion, has travelled with him as his coach to major international events, including to the 2012 London Olympics. In fact, it’s under Godina’s guidance that his performance has improved consistently, be it his bronze medal at the New York Grand Prix 2012, or him becoming the first Indian to enter the finals of a throwing event in the Olympics (London Games), or securing a personal best of 66.28m in Oklahoma in 2012.

The Sports Ministry, too, is paying for Godina’s service through the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) and, more recently, from the funds reserved for elite athletes under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). Gowda is among the highest-paid athletes under TOPS, getting Rs 1.12 crore for training under Godina in the US.

But when it came to recommending the name for the Dronacharya Award, Gowda submitted the name of his father to the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). "We have received the application from Shiv Gowda for Dronacharya award," AFI secretary general CK Valson confirmed to The Tribune.

In his application, Gowda senior has mentioned that it was under his guidance that Vikas achieved success in international competitions. The ace athlete has seconded his claim.

"The application is with the AFI’s award selection committee, which will decide on whether to forward his application to the Ministry or not. Vikas has been training under Godina for long in the US and all his good performances have come under him. Shiv has helped Vikas too; he could be seen guiding him during major international competitions," Valson said.

Asked if there’s Godina’s name, too, in the application, Valson replied in the negative. "No, it’s not there." However, according to a source in the AFI, the federation has decided not to forward Shiv’s application to the Ministry.