THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala has put up a good show in the 35th National Games held at various venues across the state. Finishing at second place in the medals tally, the state was aided in its medals race by a spectacular performance by a set of twins, winning a Silver and Bronze.
The twins in question are Liksy Joseph and Niksy Joseph, who won the medals in the heptathlon event. The duo had come to the capital city all the way from Wayanad for the love of sport. But the effort and expense had not been in vain as Liksy and Niksy managed to secure a Silver and Bronze respectively in the event held at University Stadium.
At first glance, it is hard to distinguish one from the other, and more so if they are caught wearing the same pair of clothes. The siblings have amusing experiences to share too.
Says Liksy, the more talkative of the two, “There were instances where our coach has wondered if the same girl is getting the chance to practise over and over again. But those confusions used to happen in the very beginning. After a while, people realise that we are not that similar.”
The 24-year-old sisters, though working in the Railways, represented their home state in the Games. Though this is their first time in the National Games, they have been participating in school-level and junior-level competitions starting from class VI. Says Niksy, “We have been participating in junior level under-14 and under-18 category in individual Heptathlon events like Long Jump, Hurdles, 800 m and Javelin, bringing back medals for many events. Though we had crossed the age of 18 in 2011, unfortunately, we were not able to participate in the previous National Games held at Ranchi.”
Right from the start, the sisters had high hopes of going back home with medals. And the hope was not without reason. Having participated in four of the seven Heptathlon events in the morning, the duo were listed in the second and third places.
They have also recently participated in the National Athletic Championship held at Delhi in November where Liksy secured a gold medal, while Niksy missed the bronze by a narrow brush.
The sisters don’t worry much when it comes to competing with each other, believing in a healthy competition. Says Liksy, “We help each other in perfecting our game tactics. Though we would like each other to do well, there is no adjustment or mercy once we decide to outdo the other.”
Elaborating more on the Heptathlon, Liksy says, “The 500 m is one of the toughest parts of the event.”
However, they are disappointed about one thing, as they had not got much time to practise after the National Athletics event in November.With the Games drawing to a close, the duo can celebrate their victory in style.