Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Dec 6: Seventeen-year-old Venizeia Annie Carlo has made Mangaluru proud by bringing home four medals – two gold, one silver and one bronze – in the Asian Classic Powerlifting Championship held at Alleppey in Kerala.

Pursuing her second year PUC at St Agnes College, Venizeia is now preparing to make a mark in the world championship.

Inspired by her father Vincent Prakash Carlo, an international body builder and power lifter, Venizeia said she admired her father when he brought home medals and decided to follow his footsteps.

In the Asian Classic Powerlifting Championship she won two gold medals for overall and deadlift, silver in bench press and bronze in squat.

While aspiring to become a World Powerlifting champion, she also hopes to become an air hostess. Balancing study and practice is tough but I am managing, though I feel tired after practice, she says.

Vincent, who works in the State Excise Department, says that his daughter has immense potential as she has won the gold in the International classic power lifting championship last year and the bronze medal at a competition in Hong Kong last year. “Arranging finances is a challenge. To participate in an international event, it will cost up to Rs 4 lac. I hope that the state government releases the cash prize immediately and not after years,” he says.

Venizeia is being coached by Sathish Kumar Kudroli.