He is an expert in the long cycle category and he had 10 minutes to prove his strength. Beside him was a man ready to snatch. But the Calcutta boy came back with top billing and international prestige.

No, he is not a cyclist or a rugby player, nor was someone trying to grab something from him.

Meet 29-year-old MNC employee Samrat Sen who got the top ranking at the Thailand Kettlebell Meet (long cycle category) on October 10.

The annual event was held as part of Asia Fitness Convention at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre.

Participants from nine countries tested their strength at the self-sponsored event, sanctioned by the International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation (IKFF).

The Indian contingent of six did the country proud by winning the team jerk relay against Malaysia. Sen was part of it.

“This is the first time India won a gold in kettlebell relay abroad. In a relay, the four best lifters of each country lift double kettlebells (2 x16kg) for three minutes each for a total of 12 minutes,” he said.

“India and Malaysia were head-to-head but towards the end we edged past them in a thrilling victory.”

A resident of east Calcutta, off the EM Bypass, Sen is happy to have gained international recognition for a sport that very few know of in the city, except those who are into fitness and weight training.

Kettlebell is a weight-training programme where you have to lift cannonball-like equipment as many times (repetitions) as possible in a minimum of 10 minutes.

Sen clocked 85 reps with double 16kg kettlebells. The feat secured him the top seed in the IKFF rankings.

“In Thailand, one could compete under the long cycle (clean and jerk), snatch (one bell), jerk (two bells) and biathlon (a combination of jerk and snatch) categories,” Sen told Metro over the phone from Bangkok.

“Lifters, of every category, stood side by side and put their strength and endurance to test for 10 minutes. But there is a catch – for those 10 minutes you cannot keep the kettlebells on the ground. You have to hold on to them and keep doing the reps. It is also a test of mental strength and focus.”

The Calcutta lifter, who has never compromised with his weight training despite work pressure, said the competition was not just about appearing on stage and lifting the kettlebells. “It is also about how you lift them. One needs to follow the right technique and pacing and have tremendous cardiovascular fitness to succeed in this sport,” he said.

What started as a fitness regimen in 2012 soon turned into a passion for Sen. “I took up kettlebell training to improve my fitness levels, not to compete. I found it difficult to lift them even a few times, leave alone holding on to them for 10 minutes,” he said.

“But I would keep surfing online about the discipline… I came across international lifters who would lift the heaviest of kettlebells with absolute ease and clocked ridiculous number of reps in 10 minutes, hardly breaking into a sweat. That motivated me… with my coach Arnav Sarkar egging me on, I soon took up the sport seriously.”

What followed was one gruelling session of practice after another to make Sen “competition ready” – a disciplined life and a strict diet with little leisure or fun time.

“I do not go to a gym, but I train every day after returning from work. It’s extremely challenging after a stressful day… but once I get started, I know I will complete the whole routine.”

Sen allows himself to cheat once a week with some ice cream, cold drinks, a plate of tandoori chicken or a Chinese meal.

A kettlebell is a traditional Russian training tool that is used to develop full body conditioning and fitness. The first-ever Kettlebell meet in India was held in Calcutta at the Calcutta Rowing Club in 2013. It had only 15 participants. By February 2015, the Calcutta meet saw a surge in lifters with 30 putting their strength to test.

“The kettlebell sport community is a small but extremely tight-knit one… with lot of support and encouragement for new lifters,” Sen said.

My message for Samrat Sen is…. Tellttmetro@abpmail.com

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, Calcutta,India / Front Page> Calcutta> Story / by Chandreyee Ghose / Monday – October 12th, 2015