Asian Games debut beckons for Deepu Mallesh after years of crowdfunded climbing

CHENNAI: For speed climber Deepu Mallesh, getting to the starting line has sometimes been as difficult as getting to the top of the climbing wall. From 2019-24, the 28-year-old relied on crowdfunding for most of his competitions. But financial constraints never stopped the Karnataka lad from pushing forward.He repeatedly lowered his own national record, with his latest mark coming at the Asian Championships earlier this year, where he clocked 5.39 seconds. The next stop in his journey is Japan, where he will make his maiden Asian Games appearance.“Competing in the Asian Games will help me on the path to Olympic qualification. Last year, the entire preparation was focused on making it to the Asian Games. I want to go below my national record and be a good competitor to others without putting pressure on me,” Deepu, who is also an online instructor, told TOI.While Deepu’s parents wanted him to study, he chose climbing as an escape route and tried the sport following his coach Shiva’s recommendation. The sport being included in the Olympics back then was a major push for Deepu to stay on.“Most of my competitions were crowdfunded with the help of my climbing community and others. The 2023 season was very difficult. To qualify for the Paris Olympics, I had to compete in six World Cups to improve my rankings and at least get to compete in Olympic qualifiers. But I could only participate in three WCs due to fund shortage and visa issues. Crowdfunding is always very risky. Until the very end, you will not know how much money you are going to get, how much you are going to spend, how much you have to work with. I could not plan things properly, but somehow, I tried to manage with whatever I had,” Deepu, who lowered the NR from 6.22s to 5.39s over the last few years, added.Just as the 2023 season was important for Deepu, next year will be equally crucial, with him having to compete in all the WCs and earn ranking points. But without sponsorship, he is unsure about the way forward after Asiad.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.