Athletics is considered to be the mother of all sports. An Athlete is an all-round sports person with immense control of his body and senses. Our city’s veteran athlete Madappa Yogendra, representing Karnataka in the 41st National Masters Athletic Championship 2020 held at Imphal, Manipur, from Feb. 9 to 14, 2020, won bronze medal in 3000m Steeple-Chase event. He is our ‘Star This Week.’

M. Yogendra won bronze in the Men’s 55-plus category of the Championship, with a timing of 14m:08.7s. With this performance, he earns selection to represent India in the World Masters Athletic Championships to be held in Canada later this year.

Yogendra has represented India in the World Masters Athletic Championships held at Brazil, Australia and USA and has performed well and gained valuable exposure competing with athletes from different countries.

Yogendra, who took part in the 20th Asian Masters Athletic Championship-2017 at Rugao in China in September 2017, won two bronze medals in the Men’s 55-plus category.

The 57-year-old master athlete is a Mysurean employed with the Central Excise & Customs Department as Superintend – Service Tax and posted at Bengaluru. Yogendra, son of late P. Madappa and N. Parvathamma, is married to Renuka Devi and has two sons and two daughters.

A long-distance runner, Yogendra has represented Mysore University in the All India Inter-University Athletic Championships for five years. He has represented Karnataka in the All India Inter-State Athletic Championships six times and has won several medals. He has also represented Central Excise & Customs in the Central Revenue Sports Meet in the South Zone and National level.

He has represented India in the Asian Masters Athletic Event in Taipei in 2012 and won fourth place in the 3000m Steeple-Chase event in the men’s 50-plus category.

Encouraged by his family, Central Excise & Customs Department, Mysore District Masters Athletic Association and the Masters Athletic Federation, Yogendra intends to work hard and achieve more in the National and International level.