The Telangana Osmania University at the World University Weight Lifting Championships in Mexico

For Erra Dixitha, a weightlifter representing Osmania University and Telangana at the World University Weight Lifting Championships in Mexico, her first competition in the Americas was almost a no-go for lack of funds. However, thanks to TRS leader K Kavitha, Dixitha has finally received funds to go to the championships.

Dixitha, a weightlifter for the past eight years, felt her dreams were starting to come true when she received her selection letter for the world championships being held in mid-November. However, the dream almost crashed immediately, when Dixitha found out that she was not receiving any institutional support for funding her trip to Mexico.  

Hailing from a middle-class family, the 19-year-old weightlifter says, it was impossible for her to raise the Rs 1,91,300 required for her trip.

When she approached her university, however, she was told by the Board of Control that the university was facing a shortage of funds and hence could not provide any support. The Association of Indian Universities, whom she also approached, denied her funding as well.

“I have been practicing for more than a year for this championship. This is very important for me. But when both the University and the Universities Association said they could not  pay for the trip, I was in a big dilemma because I knew my parents would never be able to fund this trip,” she said.

Seeing no other go, Dixitha approached Kavitha for help, and within five days, she received funding from the Sports Authority of Telangana to the tune of Rs 1,50,000.

With the support of her parents, Dixitha managed to raise the remaining Rs 41,000 and is now looking forward to attending the world championships between November 13 and 17 at Merda in Mexico. “After this competition I am going to start preparing for the next Olympics, and I hope I will get a chance to represent India then,” she said.


http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/telangana-weightlifter-gets-shot-world-event-mexico-thanks-mp-kavithas-help-51476