COIMBATORE: Like athletes who achieve success at the Games, their coaches should also be recognised by the government, said Vithya Ramraj, who won three medals at the Asian Games and broke P T Usha's 43-year-old record, here on Saturday.
Vithya Ramraj arrived at the Coimbatore International Airport along with her coach, Nehpal Singh Rathore. They were welcomed by Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources Bussy Anand, her family members and supporters.
Speaking to reporters, Ramraj said she had been preparing for the Asian Games since November last year. She credited her coach's guidance and training techniques for helping her improve her performance, break records and win three medals.
Referring to P T Usha's record, she said Usha had spoken to her and congratulated her. "For 43 years, nobody had broken the record. Breaking it now will give hope that other records too can be broken," she said.
"We made efforts to break the record in 2023, and we first equalled P T Usha's record. After that, we started to believe that we could break it. This year, our goal was not specifically to win medals or break records. My coach and I decided to focus on improving my timings, and that resulted in both records and medals," she said.
"Although I set a record at these Games, I am not fully satisfied. My goal is to perform well at the international level, because we are still competing primarily at the Asian level. We are targeting the upcoming world championships and Olympic games, where we hope to perform even better," she added.
She added that she has requested Sports Minister Aadhav Arjuna to recognise and respect coaches along with successful athletes.
"Without a coach, an athlete cannot perform their best. While athletes who win medals are known across India, their coaches often do not receive the same recognition. I requested the government give coaches the same recognition and respect as athletes," she said. She added that the minister assured her that coaches would be recognised during the chief minister's award ceremony.
When asked if she was contacted by the central government, she said no.
Later, she was welcomed by supporters in a procession from Nachipalayam to her village of Valukkuparai Meenakshipuram, where villagers burst crackers, distributed sweets and showered flowers on her.