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Indian season begins today

Stan Rayan

KOCHI: Just a week ago, Tintu Luka was tossing about in fever and pain. Almost all the youngsters at P.T. Usha’s School of Athletics were struck by viral fever recently. But Tintu was back on track at the Maharaja’s Stadium here on Saturday evening, jogging with a small bunch of athletes.

She may not be in form but Tintu’s presence gives a big boost to the Indian Grand Prix which begins here on Sunday afternoon. The four-hour meet, the first of three Grand Prix events, opens the Indian athletics season.

Tintu’s goal

“Tintu’s main goal is the 800m gold at the Asian Championship in China this November. We’re looking for something like 2.02 minutes which should bring the gold,” said Usha.

“But she is just coming back from the viral fever and still in the endurance phase, so we don’t expect a fast time in Kochi. But we want her to do many races this year so that we can watch her progress.”

Sheen lost

The absence of big stars like Anju George, Mayookha Johny — both have just begun training after last season’s injury — and Sinimole Paulose, who has been sent to South Africa for training by the Mittal Champions Trust along with seven others, has taken a lot of sheen away from this meet.

And this being the first event of the season, many of the others here are still shaking off the rust.

“I’m not fully fit,” said high jumper Sahana Kumari, clearly reflecting the general mood here. The Railway athlete had posted one of her career-best performances (1.85m) here last year.

Andhra Pradesh’s Krishna Mohan, who set the 110m hurdles National record here last September, was another who was half fit. “I had a hamstring injury two weeks ago,” he said.

Big surprise

But there could be a big surprise from male long jumper Maha Singh. “From what I hear, he has doing very well in training, you can expect a big one, even a national record, from him,” said Jose Mathew, the women’s jumps coach at the Bangalore national camp.

Many of the national campers from Bangalore are here but another bunch, from the Patiala camp, is yet to reach the venue. “They have reached Chennai, they are on their way to Kochi,” said Tony Daniel, the AFI Joint Secretary, here on Saturday.

International flavour

Four young athletes from Malaysia, who landed here on Saturday, will give the meet some international flavour. They are here to get some exposure before the Asian Championship in China and the South East Asian Games in Laos in December.

The stars may be few but the prize-money — Rs. 20,000 for each winner — is one of the highest for a national meet and should be enough incentive to bring out the best.

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