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Track to triumph
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The A. L. Mudaliar meet is a stepping stone for athletes aspiring to make a mark at the national level
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THE NEHRU Stadium reverberated with the cheering of men and women. Inter-collegiate level meets generally create a festive atmosphere, where there are no barriers between senior and junior students. Over the years, the Dr. Sir Lakshmanaswamy Mudaliar Silver Jubilee Commemoration Meet of the Madras University, has been more than a competition among colleges. It turns into a memorable occasion not only for the athletes but also for the college authorities and university officials. That only once in 1981 was the meet not put on the board in its 38-year history is in itself a commendation of the popularity of this annual affair.
It is a meet where emotions run high. There is rivalry, tears of joy and pain. Nothing reflects the high drama and excitement as the relay races where each turn can be tricky and each exchange of baton a test of nerves before the final dash to the tape. It is a race that in a nutshell depicts the oscillating fortunes of the front-runners right through the athletics. As they are usually the last event, relays form the finale and more often than not a fitting one because they bring the supporters in the stands to their toes.
There have been occasions when the relays decide the overall honours between close rivals such as Loyola and MCC in the men's section, Stella and Ethiraj or as now, MOP Vaishnav and Ethiraj in the women's section. The competition would be so keen that sometimes in the heat of excitement emotions got out of hand. It happened at the Rajarathnam Stadium [which was once the permanent arena for this competition before the Nehru Stadium with its synthetic racetrack came into existence in the 1990s] when stones flew around causing all round tension. The incident even resulted in the very next year's meet being shifted to a venue outside the city (Cuddalore) as a precautionary measure.
But things have settled down to a healthy rivalry in recent times. The power equations have changed too. Conspicuous by its emergence as a force to reckon with is the MOP Vaishnav College for Women. "We are relatively recent entrants," said Nirmala Prasad, principal. She is proud that the college has been able to win the honours in the women's section for three years in a row now. In the roll of honour, which is dominated by Stella Maris and Ethiraj, the emergence of MOP and the encouragement that the college gives to sports, augur well for aspiring women athletes in Chennai.
Dominating forces
In the men's section, Loyola and MCC have been the dominant forces so much so that there have been times when physical directors of some colleges have wondered whether the A. L. Mudaliar meet held any significance for their wards. In this context, the ripples that St. Joseph Engineering College and YMCA College of Physical Education created this year came as a welcome relief. Only time will tell whether these two colleges can break the hegemony of Loyola and MCC. For Loyola showed it was far ahead of the rest when it beat its archrival MCC by a mile for its fifth straight success and 27th overall.
Support for athletes
Observers say this meet has been a stepping-stone for athletes aspiring to make a mark at the national level. To that extent, colleges such as Loyola and MCC leave no stone unturned. Free boarding and lodging, scholarship and good facilities are provided after prospective athletes are picked and admitted to the college. "We show them the path to a new life and the boys keep the college flag flying high," says Sathyaseelan who will soon lay down office as Loyola's physical director. Mukesh and Manivannan, this year's record breakers, belong to this genre. They hail from economically backward families residing in remote villages in the State. Since the A. L. Mudaliar meet is a means to select the university contingent for the all-India inter-varsity meet, Sathyaseelan, former Madras University physical director, feels it should be made open to all colleges from Tamil Nadu. Not only will it improve quality but it will also prepare athletes for higher levels of performance.
S. R. SURYANARAYAN
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