GUWAHATI: The 6th “Mr & Ms India 2018” event organised by National Amateur Body Builders Association (NABBA) along with World Fitness Federation (WFF) at Rashipuram in Tamil Nadu on October 6 & 7, 2018 saw the participation of over 300 body builders, men and women, from across the country taking part in competitions spread over 24 categories.
Subhankar Das of Lumding, known popularly as Vicky, made Assam proud by winning the gold medal for best body building performance (man) at the meet.
Subhankar’s first title was “Mr Hojai” way back in 2010 when he left more than 50 competitors behind to win the title. Thereafter, Subhankar won the “Mr Assam” top title at Sonari, Sivasagar in Assam. In the same year, he was also crowned “Mr Nagaon” in a competition participated by 70 body builders.
In 2014, it was a bigger event and he had about 80 challengers to face, but he was able to grab the title of “Mr Lumding” on overall count. His coming to limelight that year also created a sensation in the otherwise humdrum railway town where body building was not yet a popular activity with the local youngsters.
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Subhankar’s father, Nilu Das, a petty businessman of Lumding, did not have the resources to meet the expenses required to prepare his son for bigger events. Even though Dipankar won the “Jungal Balahu” title in 2015, he had to take a break for over a year for want of money. This was a period of acute depression for him.
In between, he happened to be in Mumbai for the “Body Power Expo” in 2016 where he met Badal Sarma, a body building coach of national ranking. Sarma was impressed by Subhankar and agreed to be his mentor without any payment.
Ever since then, there was no looking back for Subhankar. He grabbed the “East India Champion (65 kg)” title in Bhubaneswar in 2018, “Mr Assam” in the same year, and this title of “Best Body Builder (Man)” now in Rashipuram, Tamil Nadu.
Subhankar has his eyes fixed on the “Body Power Expo” and “Boss Classic” events scheduled in Mumbai in early 2019. However, his biggest ambition till date is to compete at the “Mr Universe 2019” to be hosted by Korea in July 2019.
The State Government and other sports bodies of Assam need to stand behind Subhankar and extend financial assistance so that he can prepare well and bring laurels for his state and the country.