Bengaluru: Sohursh Shankar, a 19-year-old Bengaluru athlete with Down syndrome, won a gold medal at the 2026 Amateur World Powerlifting Congress (AWPC) world championships held in Manchester, UK, in Sept.Sohursh secured the medal in the 75kg junior special olympics classic raw category with a combined lift of 242.5kg, comprising a 90kg squat, 50kg bench press and 102.5kg deadlift. The championship saw participation from athletes representing 15 countries.He was felicitated by Karnataka commissioner for persons with disabilities, Mahesh Babu, at an event organised by PHYSIS by TALC-The Alternative Learning Community in Bengaluru recently. Sohursh is a former student of the institution.Sohursh, who was born with low muscle tone and experienced delays in developmental milestones, underwent early intervention, physiotherapy and occupational therapy. Coming from a family with a strong sporting background, he initially developed an interest in tennis before taking up powerlifting.His mother, Anitha Shankar, said the family had encouraged him to pursue sports alongside education and other interests. Sohursh completed his Class XII examinations through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) earlier this year. The family is now exploring higher education and vocational opportunities to help him develop greater independence.Speaking at the felicitation, Mahesh Babu stressed the need to create opportunities for persons with disabilities to participate equally in society.
