India’s Sports Authority of India (SAI) will train Srinivasa Gowda, the 28-year-old Kambala jockey from Karnataka, who became an instant social media sensation when he covered 145 meters in 13.62 seconds. Netizens in India started to call him 'India's Usain Bolt'. Many people including politicians and businessmen have praised him on various social media platforms and finally, his talent got recognised.
Kambala is an annual buffalo race held in the southwestern Indian state of Karnataka.
Gowda will reach SAI's Bangalore centre on Monday (17) where he will get proper training.
“We have reached out to #SrinivasaGowda and booked his train ticket. He will be in SAI's Bangalore centre on Monday where our coaches will assess him. We hope to identify and nurture more talents with inputs from all sports enthusiasts,” tweeted SAI.
"People are comparing me to Usain Bolt. He is a world champion, I am only running in a slushy paddy field," he later told reporters.
Srinivasa, a construction worker, took just 9.55 seconds to cover a distance of 100 metres, faster than eight-time gold medallist Usain Bolt.
Bolt currently holds the world record in the 100-metre race at 9.58 seconds in 2009.
Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra and Politician Shashi Tharoor were quick to recognise his talent. They recommended the government to take a look at 'his skill'.
Finally, India's sports minister Kiren Rijiju took notice.
"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 are left out untested," he tweeted as reply to Mahindra.
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)