The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : His `reverse flick' works on trees, poles

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 01, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

His `reverse flick' works on trees, poles

Staff Reporter

He climbs trees in a jiffy in reverse direction. With legs upwards and hands downwards, he completes the feat with ease

KARIMNAGAR: Ever heard of a person climbing coconut, palm trees and electric poles backwards with his hands downwards and legs upwards?

Sunkati Srinivas, a 19-year-old youth from the interior village of Malliala in Chandurthi mandal, is a master in this rare feat.

Srinivas, who has completed his Intermediate, is mostly idle, but sometimes works as a labourer due to poverty. He heard about a Karimnagar youngster walking upside down on his hands and fists. After seeing a toddy-tapper climbing trees with support of a tool, he got a novel idea of climbing toddy, coconut trees and electric poles in the reverse direction with the help of his legs.

Initial hiccups

Accordingly, he made an attempt to climb a coconut tree and was successful after two attempts. After this, he tried to climb a toddy tree and even an electric pole. Initially, he faced some problems while climbing in the reverse direction, but later secured control with his legs and knees and successfully completed the feat with ease. After three months of practice, he became an expert in climbing trees and poles in the reverse direction within seconds.

However, appreciation by villagers and praise for his feats do not provide him any food. Srinivas, who belongs to the weaver community, is currently working in some shops as a labourer in Vemulawada mandal.

Tough grind

His mother, Laxmi, rolls beedis to make a living and they stay in a rented house. His father, who

had incurred huge debts due to cultivation of cotton in acute drought conditions, had migrated to a Gulf country to make some money and repay the loans, but since the last two years he had not contacted them.

Srinivas says that provided an opportunity he will try to excel in rare sports.

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