A long leap from football to body building

NEW DELHI, August 5: Ten years ago, a strict and disciplinarian father stormed into his son's room and spanked him for cutting photograph...

NEW DELHI, August 5: Ten years ago, a strict and disciplinarian father stormed into his son’s room and spanked him for cutting photographs of body builders from sports magazines instead of doing his home work. Today, the same father is proud of his son for being a sports person.

It’s not just family pressures that the boy survived. In fact, Dinesh Singh Aswal — a talented body builder who has been selected to represent India in the Asian Championships at Vietnam this month — had to fight many odds to pursue his interest in the sport.

Starting his sports career as a footballer in Ramjas School, Dinesh switched over to body building as soon as he landed in college. The inspiration was his coach Bhupinder Dhawan, who spotted him during a work-out session in a gym that he had joined for physical fitness. “He had all the potentials of a world champion. So, I tried to convince him to take up the sport,” says Dhawan.

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“Body building is an individual event and is very popular, especially among male folks,” Dinesh explains. “Besides, it helps in maintaining good physique.”

The freak switch-over from football to body building paid rich dividends and a series of titles fell into his lap. Dinesh, a student of Satyawati College, was Delhi University champion for three consecutive years from 1994 and also brought home a silver medal for the university at inter-vasity championships in 1996. He became Railways champion in 1997-98. He was inducted in the Railways on sports quota, though Dinesh was more facinated towards Army. “In fact, I had joined NCC in college and I am a `C’ certificate holder,” he says with a smile.

But Dinesh has no regrets. He was crowned Delhi and North India champion in 1997 before he became Railways champion in 1998. His outstanding achievements have earned him a berth in the Indian squad and the 23-year-old Dinesh will be the first Delhiite to represent India in the championship.

On Wednesday, the body builder was handed over a sum of 54,000 by some of his well-wishers. “It will take care of his diet for the championships,” his coach said. His employers Indian Railways are expected to pay for his air-fare.