Consistency is her middle name

IN A demanding sport like triathlon, it is tough to maintain a high degree of consistency and very few in the country, have the distinction of achieving winning performance at each outing. Among that select band is the 16-year old Sneha Shampur of Karnataka. For three years running from 1998 to 2000, Sneha was the undisputed queen in the sub-junior ranks, winning the National title. Though she moved into the junior ranks only this season, Sneha did it again, winning the National junior title at Pune in early February.It is indeed a very laudable display for this young girl, a 10th standard student from Baldwin Girls High School and hails from Basavanagudi, a conservative locality in Bangalore, which has a rich tradition in cricket and swimming.

The second daughter of the Shampurs - Vijaya Kumar and Vidya, the youngster was pushed into swimming by her father. ``Basically most of the parents in our area either want our kids to be in cricket if it is a boy or swimming if it is girl since the BAC pool is very close to our house,'' said Mr. Shampur. Sneha's success in swimming was limited though she won at the National School Games meet in freestyle and butterfly events. ``We waited till she was 12 and since she was a good runner, we put her in triathlon as a trial,'' said Mr. Shampur.

Sneha was an instant success, winning the State sub-junior championship and she went on to repeat it at the National level in the same year. From, then on, it has been a steady climb in the sport.The biggest hurdle that the youngster faced in the sport was acquiring a good cycle. Cycling forms a major segment of triathlon and lack of a good bike can mar the outcome. In fact in the Hyderabad sub-junior Nationals, Sneha had to borrow team- mate, Zainab Tamabwala's bike to win the race. The problem was the cost. The best bikes in the market, especially the imported ones cost close to Rs. 1 lakh. Though Sneha has managed to acquire one, she is yet to master the cycling segment.

The lack of adequate cycling practice also hampered her training schedule. ``It was impossible for me to train on open roads here, because by 6 a.m. trucks start plying on the roads,'' said Sneha. Her parents are exploring the possibility of asking MEG and Centre here so that the youngster can train in its huge campus.

At Pune, she led in all segments to emerge an overall winner. ``Actually, I thought, last year's champion Radha of Tamil Nadu will be the main contender. But she finished sixth and I had an easy run,'' said Sneha. Her time of one hour 19 minutes and 49 seconds was regarded as the best ever given the demanding conditions at Pune.

Though she has practically no opposition in her ranks, she considers team-mate Kavya as a good competitor. In a sport which has very few meets, it is hard to keep the motivation. But she trains on, with a single mission. ``The target is winning a medal at the Asian level,'' said Sneha. She is fully capable of achieving that goal provided there is adequate backing from the triathlon fraternity. Wg.Cdr. Carneiro, the President of the Karnataka Triathlon Association, commends the consistent display of Sneha. ``She is a very genuine talent and we are proud of her. We have been doing our bit to help. We have sought the help of the Sports Authority of Karnataka and it has promised to get an exercising cycle, with which she can train at home. It is an advanced equipment, which can actually simulate the functions of a race bike. The KTA also plans to send Sneha and a few others for training in cycling under expert coaches in Bijapur, which has produced the best cyclists in the country. All these things should help her.''

Coach S. Pradeep Kumar also vouches for the potential of his ward. ``Without doubt, I would say that she is best in the business. She is a competent swimmer and a very good runner. Maybe if she improves in cycling, she will do a lot better,'' said Pradeep Kumar.

Though help is there at the local level, it should come in a big way from the National Federation. The sport, a few years ago almost was destroyed with factionalism rearing its ugly head. The feud totally ruined the event in the National Games held in Bangalore in 1997 and the subsequent National Games meet at Manipur, did not include triathlon. The federation run by Mr. N. Ramachandran is officially recognised by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Asian Triathlon Federation and it is now striving hard to put the sport back on its feet. ``We are grateful for his encouragement and what we look forward to is better exposure for her, especially at the international level,'' said Mr. Shampur.

KALYAN ASHOK

Bangalore

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