Udupi: K Raju Shetty, Bheema of Indian Kabaddi passes away

Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 12 Oct 2015: Seventy-year-old Karandady Raju Shetty, famed as Bheema of Kabaddi in Maharashtra for a decade (1966 to 1978) passed away at his residence in Kattingeri, Moodubelle, near here on Saturday October 10, owing to cardiac arrest.

 
Raju was the employee of Naval Dockyard in Mumbai and represented Kabaddi and weight lifting championships. He was appointed as Kabaddi coach by Naval Dockyard in 1989. He retired from Naval Dockyard in 2001 and settled in his hometown Moodubelle, actively involved in Kabaddi and farming.

 

 
He had won Maharashtra state Kabaddi Championship held in Aurangabad, and bagged the title of Bheema by winning Ashwani Kumar Kabaddi Gold Cup.  He won first place in weightlifting and earned was adjudged best rider 5 times out of 5 matches held in memory of the father of bollywood comedian Bhagavan Palav.  He had won All India Public Services Kabaddi tournament held in Uttar Pradesh.

 
Former PM Indira Gandhi lauded

The former PM Indira Gandhi lauded Raju’s Kabaddi prowess, when a Kabaddi match was organized in her honour in Mumbai. The former Andhra Pradesh CM P V Narasimha Rao also identified the sportsmanship of Raju during All India Kabaddi Tournament held there during 1973. The former Maharashtra CM Vasantrao Naik honoured Raju for winning state level Kabaddi tourney held at Pussad, Maharashtra.

 
Raju is survived by his wife and four sons. 
 
 
Belle gram panchayat president Ranjani Hegde, former president Rajendra Shetty, Belle C A Bank president Shivaji S Suvarna, Sudhakar Poojary, ZP former president Gerald Fernandes and others condoled the demise of Raju, Bheema of Indian Kabbaddi.

 

• Udupi: Raju Shetty-Acclaimed as ’Bheema’ of Indian Kabaddi