On Friday, young Mallan T M had created ripples at the Revenue District Athletics Meet at LNCPE, Kariavattom, by winning the 600-metres race. But the weekend belonged to his cousin Ayyappan P.
Ayyappan, who represented the Sree Ayyankali Memorial Residential Sports School here, won golds in the 800 metres and 1,500 metres events and a silver in 3,000 metres in the juniors category. He had finished the 1,500 metre race in 4:21 minutes on Saturday.
On Sunday - the final day of the meet - Ayyappan was also adjudged individual champion in the junior boys’ category.
Now, the youngster, who hails from the Thadikkund Ooru, Attappadi, hopes to give his best in the upcoming State School Athletics meet to be held during November 23 - November 26 at Maharaja’s College Ground, Ernakulam.
A tenth standard student at Ayyankali School, he has been an inmate there for the past six years. He is the fourth son of Paranki and Rami, who farm plantain on land given by the panchayat. And like Mallan, Ayyappan also idolises Milkha Singh. The cousins are striving their level best to make their family and school proud.
‘’I want to become a physical education teacher. It was my former coach and warden Radhakrishnan sir of Ashramam school, Malampuzha, who urged me to go for the selection trials at Palakkad. That was how I got selected to the Ayyankali Sports School. Till fourth standard, I was studying at the Ashramam School,’’ Ayyappan said.
‘’He is hard-working and sincere in his training, though a little bit shy and very good at studies also,” said his coach Jagadeesh. Ayyappan also won gold medal in the PYKKA State-level Meet, his physical education teacher, Godwin Russel, said. His sister Meenakshi and brother Kumaran also share his interest in sports.