Having created a new State meet record in shot put, throwing the shot for a distance of 13.37 meters in the 32nd Tamil Nadu State Junior Athletics Championship, M. Sharmila, a class XI student of K.J. East Muslim Higher Secondary School, Paramakudi, is all set to make a mark in the national meet to be held in Ranchi.
Sharmila, who had been winning gold and silver medals in various zonal and State-level meets in different categories right from the age of 13 years, took part in the Tamil Nadu State Junior Athletics Championship held in Dindigul from September 30 to October 2, aiming for a gold medal but ended up breaking the State record of 13.11 meters.
She would be taking part in the Junior National Championships to be held in Ranchi from November 2 and organised by Jharkhand Athletic Association. Trained by her coach Saravana Sudharshan, a Physical Director, Sharmila was confident of winning gold in the national meet.
She had already won gold in the 63rd National School Games, organised by the School Games Federation of India in Bhopal last year. Drawing inspiration from her elder sister, who was also into shot put, Sharmila had been in the sport for the last four years and had won silver in a national level meet held in Vijayawada last year.
Her father M Muruganandam was serving as a constable in the Border Security Force (BSF) in Jammu and Kashmir. Her parents were a great source of inspiration, she says.
She was working hard and practised for long hours to clear 14 metres in the National-level and improve further to win a medal in an international event, she said. On Saturday, K. Gandhi, president, Rotary Club of Ramnad, honoured her with a cash award of ₹15,000.
