Abhishek N. Shetty and Sonith Mendon consider themselves lucky that sprint events in the All India Inter University Athletics Meet in West Bengal were held on mud track. “There would have been difficulties if the events were held on a synthetic track,” said Abhishek. Sonith said for the past two years they have been denied decent facilities for practice at Mangala Stadium.
They were speaking on the sidelines of a programme at Mangalore University to felicitate them.
Abhishek and Sonith were among the 83 sports persons felicitated by the university on Tuesday for excelling in national, State and intercollegiate sporting events. The university also felicitated 14 students, who brought honours to the university in various Inter-University cultural events.
Abhishek, a final year B.Com student, won the gold medal in the decathlon event; Sonith, a Post Graduate Diploma Student, won silver medals in 100 metres and 200 metres running. The two were a part of the team of athletes representing Mangalore University in West Bengal Meet in January. Both are now preparing for the All India Open Athletic Tournament to be held in Patiala in the last week of April. “The events in this tournament will be on synthetic tracks. I have no other go but to practice on the mud track of the NMPT Grounds,” Sonith said.
Ravindra, a 1st year BA student from Udupi, had difficulty in adjusting to the cold climate in Rajasthan – the venue of the Inter University Best Physique Championship organised by Mohanlal Sukhadia University in February. “It was too cold. It was difficult for me to excel among the 52 participants,” said Mr. Ravindra, who went on to win the yellow medal. Director of Physical Education, Mysore University, C. Krishna stressed the need for sportspersons to cultivate fair play and healthy sporting attitude. Sports enthusiasts should not fall for doping to achieve success. They should also not fall in trap of institutions that admit sportspersons to their colleges to get name in sports.
Supporting sport
Vice Chancellor T.C. Shivashankar Murthy said the university has been encouraging sportspersons by giving scholarship of Rs. 1,000 every month to 45 undergraduates. The university is also giving two credits per semester to those who excel in sports, NCC and NSS activities.
