Date:03/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/03/stories/2008080356601600.htm

Sport - Athletics

Darsana proves Usha right

Principal Correspondent

— Photo: Vipin Chandran

M.S. Darsana.

KOCHI: Five years ago, when M.S. Darsana came for the trials conducted by the Usha School of Athletics, she turned out to be a big flop.

“She was sort of childish. During the broad jump, she just took two small stuttering steps,” said P.T. Usha, the school’s star coach.

“Though she failed to get admission in our hostel, I began training her. For she was tall and big and I knew I could mould her into a top hurdler,” said Usha.

On Saturday, the 17-year-old sprint hurdler proved Usha right. Darsana broke the State under-18 girls’ record in the M.K. Joseph memorial sixth State inter-club athletics championship at the Maharaja’s Stadium here.

Her time, 14.67 secs in the 100m hurdles, was much better than that of the winners of the women’s and under-20 sections and a big improvement on Anju Alex’s eight-year-old mark (14.80).

Very promising

“I’ll slowly make her concentrate on the 400 hurdles where she has the potential to do well at the senior Asian level in the next few years,” said Usha, who was among the world’s best in the event more than two decades ago.

We have been hearing a lot about Tintu Luka, Usha’s star trainee, for the last few years. With Tintu not competing here, this meet offered a good chance for the other Usha School campers to come out of the shadows.

C. Shilpa, also trained by Usha, broke the four-year mark of Tintu V. George while emerging as the fastest under-18 girl.

National star S. Arunjith of Kollam SAI and Beevi Rajan of Thiruvananthapuram LNCPE emerged the fastest man and woman respectively.

The records:

Boys: Under-20: Triple jump: K.V. Rakesh Babu (Kzde SAI, 15.20m; OR: Anoop Thomas 14.88).

Under-18: Octathlon: Arun S. Kumar (Tvm SAI, 5,177 pts; OR: S. Akhil 4,988).

Under-16: 400m: T. Sawntharraj (St. George HSS, Koth., 51.55s; OR: K. Shereef 51.7).

5000m race walk: Littish Joseph (Ktym CSH, 24:59.7s; OR: K.K. Reghu 25:5.3).

Girls: under-20: 400m: Anu Mariyam Jose (Malabar Sports Academy, Pullurampara, 56.22s; OR: Dayana John Selvan 57.2).

Pole vault: Sithara T. Ellath (Alphonsa College, Pala, 3.15m; OR: own, 3.10).

Under-18 100m: C. Shilpa (Usha School of Ath., 12.14s; OR: Tintu V. George 12.2, 2004).

400m: C. Arya (Thrissur SAI, 56.42s; OR: Tintu Luka 57.7).

100m hurdles: M.S. Darsana (Usha School, 14.67s; OMR: C.T. Raji 15.1s; Old State record: Anju Alex 14.80, 2000).

Pole vault: K.C. Dija (Jumps Academy, Pala, 2.95 m; OR: Sithara T. Ellath 2.80).

Javelin: Biji Mohan (Kollam CSH, 38.84m; OR: own, 34.84).

Under-14: High jump: P. Merlin (Parali HS, 1.49m; OR: Anjaly V. Mohanan 1.42).