New kid on the block

The veteran sprint queen PT Usha sees her past in Tintu Luka. The ‘Payyoli Express’ feels Luka is going to be the best prospect fo...

The veteran sprint queen PT Usha sees her past in Tintu Luka. The ‘Payyoli Express’ feels Luka is going to be the best prospect for India in the 2012 Olympics. And the unassuming, shy 17-year-old does not belittle the expectations showered on her. Luka broke two meet records in the two events she took part at the school nationals held at Balewadi, here, on Friday.

Luka first set a record in the 400m event in u-17 section when she clocked 55.3 secs bettering Mandeep Kaur’s (Punjab) two-year-old timing by a clear 1.1 secs. Later, in the 800m, she timed 2:14.56s to eclipse Abhirani’s 2001 school nationals record. The Gujarat lass had a time of 2:16.74s.

In May 2002, Usha spotted her when she was conducting selection trials for Usha School of Athletics from a bunch of 600 youngsters. The first thing Usha noticed in the frail-looking Luka was her ‘‘killer instinct’’. Says Usha’s husband V Sreenivasans: ‘‘Luka had a hunger for success. Of course, she had good endurance.’’

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Luka started with long jump and participated in the Kerala state meet without much success. Later she was selected for the Bangalore school nationals and she came home with a silver in the 600m. But to her dismay, she could not qualify for the Jalpaiguri school nationals in 2004. She made a splendid comeback when she bagged her first gold in the Junior Nationals by breaking the meet record in the 800m event.

Ironically, her main event is yet to be chosen. V Sreenivasan says she is yet to complete her three-year at the centre; only after that we would decide about her pet event. ‘‘Meanwhile, we try her in all sorts of events on a trial basis.’’ However, Luka adds that she feels comfortable running in the 800m event.

Eldest among three sisters, Luka is away from home since she was enrolled in the Usha school. ‘‘I rarely go to meet my parents; now I’m used to it. To get something, you have to sacrifice something,’’ she says, adding ‘‘I want to achieve what she (PT Usha) could not by clinching a gold in 2012.’’

FACTFILE

2003: School Nationals, Bangalore: Silver in 600m sub-junior (1:39s)
2004: AAFI Junior Nationals, Meerut: Gold in 800m (2:15.32s NMR; earlier record 2:16.78s)
2005: School Nationals, Balewadi: Two Gold: in 400m (55.3 secs NMR; earlier record 56.4s) and 800m (2:14.56s NMR; earlier record 2:16.74s)

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