74-Year-Old Prakash Awasthi Wins Gold as Lucknow Athletes Secure Two Silver and Seven Bronze Medals in Bengaluru
Lucknow: Proving that age is no barrier to sporting excellence, veteran swimmers from Lucknow were felicitated for their impressive performance at the 2nd Asian Masters Swimming Championship, held in Bengaluru from October 4 to 10. The city’s swimmers collectively won 10 medals, including one gold, two silver and seven bronze, bringing recognition to Lucknow.
The felicitation ceremony was organised by the Lucknow District Swimming Association at Awadh Gymkhana Club, where other senior swimmers who participated in the championship were also honoured.
Dr Anandeshwar Pandey, General Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Olympic Association, attended as the chief guest, while Dr Syed Rafat Zubair Rizvi, Treasurer of the association, was the guest of honour.
Addressing the gathering, Dr Pandey said the swimmers had demonstrated that dedication, discipline and regular practice could lead to sporting achievements at any age. Their performance was an inspiration not only for young athletes but also for people who tend to distance themselves from sports as they grow older.
Dr Rizvi said the achievements of Lucknow’s veteran swimmers were a matter of pride for the city’s sporting community and would help strengthen the culture of active participation in competitive sports.
Presiding over the समारोह, Dr R.K. Swarnakar, IPS and ADG, Uttar Pradesh Police, observed that sports were not merely about winning medals but also about developing discipline, consistency and a healthy lifestyle.
Puneet Agarwal, Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Tennis Association, welcomed the guests, while Sudhir Sharma, Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Rowing Association, conducted the programme.
Among the medal winners, 74-year-old Prakash Awasthi clinched gold in the 50-metre backstroke. A retired BSNL employee, Awasthi is an internationally recognised swimmer.
Radheshyam Gupta, aged 78, and Devendra Shukla, aged 58, won silver medals in the 200-metre backstroke. Gupta has been associated with the teaching profession, while several members of his family are also active in swimming. Shukla, an international-level diver, currently serves in the Customs Department.
Suman Chaudhary, 65, secured three bronze medals in the 50-metre backstroke, 50-metre breaststroke and relay events. An international swimmer and diver, she is retired from the state secretariat.
Rakesh Shukla, 71, won two bronze medals in the 200-metre backstroke and relay. An international masters athlete, swimmer and diver, he retired as DIG, Registration.
Nitin Varshney, 62, a retired railway employee, contributed another bronze medal in the relay event. Pushpa Mishra, a recipient of the Laxman Award, won bronze in the 50-metre butterfly. Aged 52, Mishra works at City Montessori School and has previously won medals in swimming and diving at national and international competitions.
A total of 17 swimmers from Lucknow participated in the championship. Besides the medal winners, the participants included Vikas Awasthi, Dr V.M. Khare, Dinesh Srivastava, Shyam Narayan Gupta, Seema Yadav, Sandeep Arora, Rakesh Sonkar, Anuradha Khanna, Prabhat Mishra and Subodh Mishra.
The event highlighted the determination of senior athletes who continue to compete and pursue sporting excellence, demonstrating that passion and commitment to sports are not restricted by age.
Among those present were Uttar Pradesh Rowing Association vice-president and former MLC Hira Lal Yadav, former Rowing Federation of India vice-president Dr I.D. Sharma, chartered accountant S.M. Dwivedi, former Chief Commissioner of Income Tax P.N. Pathak, Lucknow District Swimming Association director Ravin Kapoor, advocate Paritosh Sharma and Amol Srivastava, along with other distinguished guests.
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