Olympics dream: Tintu Luka's family waits with bated breath

Olympics dream: Tintu Luka's family waits with bated breath

KOCHI: While Tintu Luka was striving to qualify for the 800-metre semifinal in the 2012 London Olympics, the village of Valathode - where her small house was located - was reeling under heavy rains. Power was disrupted, and travel to the village located near Iritty in Kannur district was not an easy task, especially after dusk.

Hence, Tintu’s mother Lissy remained at a relative’s house at Iritty to watch  on television Tintu competing with the best in the world. Her father K J Luka was working in Saudi Arabia to provide for his family of five that includes two younger daughters.

Four years on, the Luka family owns a gleaming two-storey house at Chavassery, much closer to the Iritty town. “This is the fruit of Tintu’s hard work over the years,” say her proud parents, admiring the innumerable medals and trophies stacked in well-laid-out wall cabinets. Before the family shifted to the new home in January 2015, there was a time when the hard-earned tokens of achievement were bundled in sacks.

And when Tintu, perhaps at the peak of her physical prowess at 27, takes to the track on Wednesday for another crack at the Olympics in the distant Rio de Janeiro, her parents and sisters Angel and Christina would all be huddled together with a prayer on their lips. “An Olympic medal is the ultimate dream. We know it’s not going to be easy. But, it would be possible if she could produce her best,” said Luka.  And there is an added interest in hoping for a medal from Brazil. It would make for a wonderful reunion. For Tintu has hardly spent any length of time with her family since joining the Usha School of Athletics (USHA) in Kozhikode 14 years ago, much less in her new home of one-and-a-half years. In fact, she has never been home for Christmas, as December is always a time for competitions.   “Tintu has been so focused on her training that she has not been able to stay with us in the new house,” points out Lissy. “She has come here just thrice, and had to leave hurriedly each time. All the attention has been on preparing well for the Olympics. While it would be a great joy for all of us to have Tintu with us for some time, an Olympic medal would make it that much sweeter.”  However that may be,  the reigning Asian champion’s life would have come a full circle once she returns from Rio, after a chance spotting of a newspaper advertisement at a hospital in 2002 had landed a malnourished girl under the care of the legendary P T Usha.   Even as Tintu’s mother Lissy was admitted to a hospital, uncle Joyichan saw the USHA ad and informed her parents who were already on the lookout for a coaching centre for their eldest daughter. Only after they had forwarded the application did Tintu come to know about it. At the trials held in Koyilandy, there were around 600 children. Fifty of them were short-listed, and Tintu was picked as the 12th and final trainee in the inaugural batch of the USHA, following a two-week camp.

“My mommy is a huge fan of Usha chechi,” Tintu had said before leaving for Rio.   “She was very interested in coming for the camp, so that she could meet Usha in person. Pappa, mommy, and uncle had a bet among themselves. Mommy said she would definitely talk to Usha. The others did not think so. But, mommy was adamant. We came a day earlier. And when we went to the ground in the evening, Usha Chechi was there. Mommy went up and managed to talk to Usha chechi, shaking hands.”

What followed the next day has turned into history, with Tintu holding the national record in the women’s 800-metre race. Will that extend to the biggest stage of them all is what the Luka family is watching with baited breath. Should Tintu be standing on the podium on August 21, Luka and Lissy - both athletes in their schooldays - would only be witnessing an extension of their own aspirations.

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