Tracking Usha

Wondering if there wi­ll ever be a world record in athletics in the name of an Indian? Such a re­c­o­rd exists. Pilavullakandi Thekk­epar­ambil Usha’s five gold medals, ap­art from a bronze medal, in the 1985 Asian Track and Field Meet in Jakar­ta is the world record for the most gold medals won by a female athlete in any championship approved by the Internatio­nal Amateur Athletic Federation.

The exploits of PT Usha, the ‘Golden Girl’ of Indian athletics, are well preserved in the pages of history.  She was the recipient of the Golden Shoe award for winning 4 gold medals with new records at the Seoul Asian Games in 1986 and still holds the one-lap hurdles national record of 55.42 sec set du­ring her famous run at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where she missed a medal by a mere one-hundredth of a second. The disappointment of that race still rankles the 46-year old. The ‘Payyoli Express’ feels she would have been among the medals if not for poor exposure. “I had competed in just two international races that season prior to the Olympics,” she recalls. “I made some tactical mistakes. I am sure I wo­uld have won a medal with a little more experience of top quality competition.” Time has moved on and she now dons the garb of mentor and arbiter. Being made chairperson of the selection committee for the national sports awards is just recognition for the inspiration Usha has provided to Indian sports in general and women in particular.

Nurturing talent

Through the 1980s, Usha was part of a golden period for Indian athletics with sportswomen from Kerala doing particularly well. Jumper and quart­er-miler Mercy Kuttan, hurdler MD Valsamma, quarter-miler Padmini Se­l­van and middle-distance runner Sh­iny Wilson, along with Usha, challenged the best in Asia. However, bet­ween then and now — barring notable performances by Anju Bobby George, who won bronze in the long jump at the World Athletics Championship in Paris in 2003; and KM Beenamol, who reached the 400m semifinal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and claimed the 800m gold at the 2002 Busan Asian Games — Indian athletes have failed to make a mark on the big stage.

Apart from a lack of foresight and planning in training programmes, a major reason for decline in standards in the country has been the rise in demand for immediate results at all le­vels, even at inter-school events. Instead of going through systematic tr­aining, young athletes, coaxed by their coaches and managers, are taking recourse to performance-enhancing drugs. Bucketfuls of syringes we­re recovered from the toilets of Koc­hi’s Maharaja College Stadium and its adjoining areas during the recently held Kerala inter-club athletics championship. The situation is similar countrywide, concede coaches and administrators.

“There is no dearth of talen­t­ed athletes or dedicated coaches,” says former international at­hlete and national coach PR Pu­rushothaman. “But we lack a systematic and long-term appro­ach to training and development. In many cases, athletes are being forced to participate in more th­an one event, without consideri­ng their capabilities, to gain immediate results.” Purushot­h­a­man sees positive signs in for­m­er athletes like Us­ha and Me­rcy Kuttan ru­nning their own academi­es. “As for­mer internatio­nal athletes, they know exactly what needs to be done to develop athletes tec­hnically, physically and mentally,” he says.

Aiming high

Providing a ray of hope, the Usha School of Athletics, now in­to its ninth year, is showing si­g­ns of producing a world-standard athlete. Twenty-year old Tintu Luka, believes Usha, is on track to be among the best, at least in Asia, in two years’ time.

Having overcome negative publicity over its functioning in the initial years, particularly with regard to the intake and weeding-out processes of trainees, the school is on the verge of a giant leap. “Our intention is an Olympic gold medal,” says Usha. “So it was important to identify the right talent — those who had the potential to reach our expected goal.” Usha feels Tintu is capable of winning a medal at the London Olympics in 2012.

Spread across 30 acres of land gr­anted by the Kerala government in Ki­n­alur, Kozhikode, the academy currently has 18 inmates with four of th­em joining this summer. The school formally came into existence on May 29, 2002 at Koyilandy, Kozhikode, on rented premises with the first batch of 12 trainees enrolling the following year. Study, training, diet and psychology sessions aim to bring the best out of athletes on the track.

The academy is also associated wi­th the Laureus Sports Foundation, ch­aired by hurdling legend Edwin Moses, and the Olympic Gold Quest pr­ogramme — the brainchild of Geet  Se­thi and Prakash Padukone — of the Foundation for Promotion of Sports and Games.

In the last two years, trainees of Us­ha’s school, led by Tintu, have made their presence felt with strong perf­ormances. “There is more to come,” fe­els Usha. “Angel Mathews and Jessy Joseph have returned better timings than what Tintu had achieved at the same age.” Sprinter C Shilpa, quarter-miler Aswathy Mohan and hurdler Darshana MS are other athletes with potential.

Overcoming obstacles

Even as she goes about bringing out the best in young athletes, Usha has had to put up with a few unpleasant incidents. While she shed tears at not receiving proper accommodation — read respectful treatment — during the 49th National Open Athletics Championships in Bhopal in 2009, the more painful incident, perhaps, was Anju Bobby George’s remark on a regional TV channel in 2008 that Usha was only an “Asian-level athlete”.

Asked why she did not look up to Usha, Anju said she could not as Usha was not a world-class athlete. “I only look up to world-standard athletes.” This is what Anju — even if she might not have intended to humiliate Usha — had said.

“How can she (Anju) decide on my credentials? In 1985 and 1986, the International Amateur Athletic Federation selected me as one of the best ei­g­ht athletes in the world,” was Us­h­a’s response.

Athletes of the Soviet bloc might have boycotted the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics but the fact is that Usha fi­nished ahead of Aussie Debbie Flintoff-King, who clinched gold four years later in Seoul.

If Usha failed to win an Olympic medal, it was primarily because she did not have access to the best possible training and exposure.

At the National Open Athletics Ch­ampionships in Bhopal in 2009, Usha was left to share a room at the Sports Authority of India hostel with others. When she asked for better accommodation, officials refused. It was only af­ter Usha was seen in tears on TV that big names intervened and she re­ceived hotel accommodation.

So much for the respect that the co­untry’s non-cricket sports heroes receive.

Interview with PT Usha:

On being chairperson of the national sports awards committee

It is a great honour. We have the best people from their respective fields in the committee this time. I don’t think there will be any problem in deciding the award-winners. All of us believe that only deserving persons should get awards.

On the selection procedure for nati­onal awards

Athletes should not have to go to national federations or associations to get their names recommended for awards. While the system of athletes having to submit details of their achievements to their associations is okay, associations and the government should also keep track of the athletes’ performances. Sometimes, athletes are unable to furni­sh details on time. Deserving athletes sh­ould be given awards even if associat­ions, for some reason, do not forward th­eir names on time.

On India’s chances in the Commonwealth Games

It will not be easy to win medals competing against athletes from Jamaica, Canada, Britain and Australia. However, we have realistic chances in the women’s 4x400 m relay, middle-distance races, long jump and throwing events. MA Praju­sha and Mayookha Johny can be among the medals if they jump around 6.6m. If they can be consistent, Vokas Gowda and Krishna Punia can win medals in the discus throw. It all depends on our athletes peaking at the right time.

On Tintu Luka’s prospects

She has a chance in the Commonwealth Games but I will not drive her too much to win a medal. We have planned her development in such a way that she will peak at the 2012 Olympics. Her personal best is 2.01.69 sec. If she can run under 2 minutes at the CWG, I will be happy; if she wins a medal, it will be a bonus. Ul­timately, we want to win Olympic me­dals for the country.

On future plans for the Usha School of Athletics

We want to build a 400m synthetic track at the school, apart from setting up full-fledged centres for sports medicine and science to bring in modern methods and research. As of now, we are concentrati­ng on delivering strong performances at the Asian Games and the Olympics. Once we achieve something, help will come in automatically.

On her support cast

The people who are associated with the school right now are committed to the cause. My husband V Sreenivasan and general secretary P Ajanachandran have been with the school from the start. One di­sappointment has been the inability to find a person with the technical kn­owledge and dedication to assist me during tr­a­in­ing sessions.

krishnakumarkh@expressbuzz.com