The Hindu : Front Page : Don’t push the children: P.T. Usha

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Saturday, Oct 06, 2007
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Don’t push the children: P.T. Usha

Satyasunder Barik

— Photo: PTI

Word of encouragement: Athlete P.T. Usha with child marathoner Budhia at the Railway Athletic Meet at Bhubaneswar on Friday.

BHUBANESWAR: With more and more children in Orissa opting for long distance running after child marathoner Budhia Singh hit the headlines, sprinter P.T. Usha on Friday said they should be strictly prevented from doing so.

“If you make a child aged between five and six run long distance, this certainly would strain his heart and the nervous system would come under severe stress,” she told reporters on the sidelines the inauguration of 73rd All India Railway Athletics Championship here.

“Don’t even compel a child to run. One should teach them a few light exercises and then make them play sports such as kabadi, handball and football. In between, the child can run small distances,” Ms. Usha suggested.

This advice assumes significance in view of a recent controversy over Budhia’s long distance running. There was a sharp division of opinion over the issue.

The State government had to intervene in the matter and the controversy settled down only last month after Budhia was given accommodation in a government-run sports hostel in the city.

“Budhia may be having some special qualities. It does not mean you should start giving training from the age of six,” Ms. Usha, who once missed an Olympic medal by a whisker, said.

Following the footstep of Budhia, several children such as Anastasia Barla from Sundargarh, Dillip Rana from Pipili and Mrutyunjaya Mandal from Berhampur, started running long distances. Mrutyunjaya once fainted 11 km short of the targeted 80 km in Maharastra.

“I started my career at the age of 13. The best age for an athlete to make a beginning is between 11 and 12. Then, he or she can advance in the career slowly,” said the sprint queen, who runs Usha School of Athletics near Kozikhode where she is imparting training to young girls.

Commenting on the infrastructure existing at the school level, she said Kerala was ahead of other States in this regard.

There was huge scope of improvement in other States, she added.

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