The “flying girl” P.U. Chithra of Mundur Government High School, who won four gold medals in the National School Games, and Mohammed Afzal of Parali Government High School, who won gold in both the events he had participated in, along with their coaches, were given a rousing welcome at Shoranur railway station here when they returned from Etawah in Uttar Pradesh at 7.30 a.m. on Wednesday.
There was a large number of people, including people’s representatives, officials and sports authorities, to receive the national champions. They included M.B. Rajesh, MP; district panchayat president T.N. Khandamuthan; Shoranur municipal chairperson M.R. Murali; BJP state unit president V. Muraleedharan, and a host of others.
Chithra and Afzal said they were proud to win gold for Kerala at the games. Their coaches N.S. Sajeev of Mundur HS and P.G. Manoj of Parali HS said they would try their best to give the gold medallists more training to achieve greater heights. The athletes and their coaches were taken in open vehicles from the railway station to Mundur school where they were given a public reception by the school authorities, Mundur Grama Panchayat and the local people.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan has sanctioned an amount of Rs.10 lakh from the MLA’s Local Area Development Fund for constructing a road to P.U. Chithra’s house at Mundur. The grama panchayat is part of Malampuzha, the constituency he represents in the State Assembly.
Though she was gifted with a car by the Uttar Pradesh government for winning four gold medals, there is no motorable road to reach her house situated at Mundur.
