GANDHINAGAR, DEC 9: For a while, the years just seemed to roll back as P T Usha stepped in for practice at the SAI West Zone Centre here today. There she was, looking supremely fit and obliging her fans, mostly fellow competitors, with a smile and the odd autograph. Currently on deputation as Director of Sports, Govt. of Kerala, it was as if Payyoli's pride had never stepped down from the Los Angeles high in 1984.But the 33-year-old, of all people, is aware that her comeback to the track has not really been half as rewarding as her first stint. Yet, the determination shone through as she prepared to cash in on another chance to set the record straight in the 100m, 200m, and 400m at the 37th Open National Athletic Meet which begins here tomorrow.Moving on to overall picture, 52-member Railways side and 32-strong Services Sports Control Board are expected to dominate the three-day extravaganza. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi athletes will have to up their drive considerably to steal the limelight.If Usha seeks to corner individual glory, she would have to keep in mind another Super Mom on the comeback track. And, it is in the sprint double that Rachita Mistry hopes to wrest the spotlights from the Kerala veteran.While most of the star cast for the meet will arrive with the Railways bandwagon, a major absentee will be Shiny Wilson (Food Corporation of India) who has opted out due to lack of practice.Prominent in the Railways squad are veteran middle distance runner Bahadur Prasad, still a hot property in the 1500m and the 5,000m and the shy Rosa Kutty, who will be blazing the synthetic track in 400m, 800m and 1,500m.Once again, considerable attention will be devoted to the showdown between Rosa Kutty and Jyotirmoyee Sikdar, in the 400m and 800m.Ugma Ram will head the Services challenge in the 110m hurdles, while Rajesh Singh is fancied in the 3000m steeplechasers with Amrish Kumar, who will also participate in the 5,000m.The athletes here reckon that the All-India Police Sports Board is also capable of surprising the top guns. And, adding to the sense of anticipation is the mellow sunshine and cool breeze which should provide an ideal setting for some top class action.
