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Schoolgirls do the city proud
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Natasha Sagar and G.M. Aishwarya account for four of the eight gold medals won by Karnataka at the Junior National Athletic Championships
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Natasha (494) won the gold in the pentathlon (five events comprising 100 m hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and 800 m) at Vijayawada besides topping the 100 m hurdles and long jump for girls' under-16. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy
NATASHA SAGAR and G.M. Aishwarya are two of a kind. The two Baldwin Girls schoolmates covered themselves with glory in the Junior National Athletic Championships held recently at Vijayawada. While Natasha garnered three of the eight gold medals that the state athletes won in the meet, Aishwarya accounted for another. And the two are equally adept at the combined events — a test of their character and all-round prowess.
Natasha's gold at Vijayawada came in the pentathlon (five events comprising 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and 800m) besides 100 m hurdles and long jump for girls' under-16, a tough task by all means for a 15-year-old. The performances did slip in both long jump and 800 meters from her previous best that she achieved in the state meet earlier this month and that could well be due to the cramped schedule.
"Having trained and performed in the synthetic track here it was difficult to bring out my best in the mud tracks of Vijayawada. I am disappointed despite my total of 3,023 points fetching me the gold and a national record, besting Sabina Khatum's (West Bengal) previous national record of 3,013 points," Natasha says with a tinge of sadness.
It's been good going thus far for this physically toned lass who is eyeing the heptathlon national record in a year's time and has set her sights on the 2010 Commonwealth Games that are to be staged in India. "Maybe after that I might just stick to my long jump and hurdles," signs off Natasha.
Aishwarya, just 13, is still in her formative years but has taken her first steps to stardom. "I was introduced to athletics by my physical education teacher, Ms. Dias, four years ago during the BSA meet. And since having joined Beedu, the graph has grown steadily," beams the chirpy girl who stands 5'4" in her socks. Aishwarya's niche is the high jump event and her effort of 1.48 metres at the Junior Nationals this year earned her a gold medal with 2,132 points in the triathlon Group B for under-14 girls.
"This is much below my best of 2,260 points achieved at the state selection meet for South Zone at the Kanteerava stadium. My long jump was poor and a letdown. Having done 5.35 metres earlier, I could muster only 4.80 metres at the nationals and I lost points. Hopefully, I will not make the same mistakes again," she says.
Both the girls are the proud products of former national coach and senior state coach V.R. Beedu.
"It's encouraging to note that the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on their part has taken keen interest in the combined events discipline..The Federation has plans of conducting the combined events nationals for boys and girls as well, sometime in 2005 and make it an annual feature. It augurs well for the athletes," Beedu says. "The concept of starting a nationals for multi-events was long awaited. Natasha and Ashwini can now participate in the combined events and then concentrate in their specialised event during the open nationals and inter-state championship, which is otherwise very cramped for versatile athletes."
But Beedu strongly feels that cash incentives for participants are a must. "In the last event held at the Kanteerava stadium the men's event had two athletes — one from Punjab and another from Kerala. When the Punjab lad pulled out with hamstring injury the Kerala athlete Vinod lost his motivation and pulled out too. Prize money of around Rs. 10,000 would have been enough motivation for Vinod to complete the gruelling decathlon event, with or without competition," Beedu says.
AVINASH NAIR
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