Kambala jockey Shrinivas Gowda with CM Yediyurappa in Bengaluru on Monday

BENGALURU: For a sportsman being feted for his speed, Kambala star Shrinivas Gowda got a taste of the speed-breaker that is sarkari procedure, and Bengaluru traffic. First, chief minister BS Yediyurappa turned up 15 minutes late for the felicitation at Vidhana Soudha. The government award - a cheque of Rs 3 lakh - was "caught in traffic".

Gowda, a construction worker from Moodabidri and star Kambala jockey of Dakshina Kannada with 32 medals this season, was invited to Bengaluru after his record performance that drew comparisons to Usain Bolt and lined up vice-president Venkaiah Naidu and Union sports minister Kiren Rijiju among his fans.

The 28-year-old, who reached the Soudha conference hall around 3pm, waited for the CM and left the felicitation with a basket of fruits and sundry mementos, and "an appreciation letter" with a "promise" of Rs 3 lakh.

He waited another 45 minutes for the CM to return from a cabinet meeting and hand over the cheque, then headed for Malleswaram where he waited for deputy CM Ashwath Narayan at the latter's residence to be felicitated. Gowda was on a round of TV studios before reaching the Sports Authority of India centre where he was due for an event.

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