SALEM: Twenty-year-old Pavithra, an athlete representing the Salem division of Southern Railway, has bagged a gold medal in the pole vault event at the 62nd National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships 2023 that was held in Odisha from June 15 to 19. Through this win, she has qualified directly for the Asian Games 2023.
Hailing from an economically weak family at Nagara Malai main road in Salem, she took up pole vault while she was in class 9. At the national meet, she set a new meet record (NMR) of 4.10 metres.
Speaking to TNIE, Pavithra, who is working as a commercial ticket clerk, thanked her physical director at school for making her shift from sprint to pole vault. "I am one of the top senior women in India. This success is gratifying,” she said
Elamparithi, athletics coach of the sports development authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) of Salem district congratulated her and said, “With this win, she has directly qualified for the Asian Championships to be held in Thailand in July and the Asian Games in China in September.”