CHENNAI: ‘Dha-Run’. This is Dharun Ayyasamy’s WhatsApp status. If not anything else, it shows how important sport is to the 21-year-old. On Saturday, a Velammal School felicitated him (400m hurdles and men’s 4x400m relay) and Arokia Rajiv (men’s 4x400m and mixed relay silver medallist) for their performance at the Asian Games. Govindan Lakshmanan, who was disqualified after finishing third in 10,000m in Jakarta, was also felicitated and awarded Rs 2 lakh, like Dharun and Rajiv. Around 1,500 students accorded a standing ovation to the athletes, who were given a chariot ride. Dharun’s is a story of success after struggle.
A shinbone stress fracture after the Olympics in 2016, 10 months of no practice and a hamstring injury three months before the Games could not deter him. Now that he has won medals and cash awards to the tune of Rs 90 lakh (from the central and state governments), he wants to give it to his mother Poongodi. The 47-year-old is a teacher at Migrow Kids School in Ravuthampalayam village in Tirupur district. As a child, Dharun didn’t understand what financial problems meant. He just wanted to run. Gradually, he realised what was going on around him.
“My father passed away when I was eight. We were financially unstable and when I started running seriously, I had to seek help from my uncle because we couldn’t afford running shoes.” Dharun was surprised with his show in 400m hurdles in Jakarta. “I thought I will be finishing with a timing of above 49 seconds. But, after seeing 48.96 on the scoreboard, I was very happy. I might have won silver but what matters more is what I am clocking.
“It was not easy after the Olympics. I suffered a shin bone stress fracture and was out of practice for almost a year. I directly participated in the Federation Cup in March. There I broke Joseph Abraham’s national record of 49.51 and clinched the gold medal. After failing at the Commonwealth Games, the Jakarta performance has boosted my confidence.” Asked about job offers coming his way after the Asian Games, Dharun said the Indian Army and Railways have approached him, but his focus is on spending more time on the track and bettering his performance.
“The aim is to bring down my timing to 48.2 by the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. I am looking forward to giving my best at the Asian and World Championship next year.” he added. nithin.k@newindianexpress.com