Date:07/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/07/stories/2009010754842000.htm

Sport - Athletics

Confident Kerala eyes a richer haul

KOCHI: Kerala has been a consistent champion in the National schools athletics championship, winning the overall title in the last 11 editions, and there is a livelier spring in its athletes’ step this time around.

Since the 54th edition of the event, which begins at the Maharaja’s Stadium here on Wednesday, is back home after eight years, the host is confident of winning the honours with a bigger margin.

“We won 33 golds last year, this time we’ll make it 40,” said Raju Paul, the coach of Kothamangalam’s St. George HSS, Kerala’s champion school, on Tuesday.

The host will be looking to dominate the 400m, the middle-distance events, the jumps and the hurdles.

The five-day event has attracted nearly 2,500 athletes who will be competing under three age groups — under-14, 17 and 19. Kerala will be fielding nearly 150 athletes with the number slightly higher in the girls’ section.

Sprinters M.M. Sreeraj, E.M. Indulekha, Nikhila Joseph, high jumper Steny Michael and distance runner M.D. Thara are some of the stars of the home team. With the teams still coming in, the prominent names in the other sides are not very clear. The championship begins on Wednesday morning but the official inauguration will be in the afternoon. — Principal Correspondent