PT Usha. The name spells admiration. Never mind!
Two of her trainees from the Usha School of Athletics (USHA) are going to the Rio Olympics. Never mind!
Since its inception in 2002, the only government award the ambitious athletics academy has received is one for “excellence for its outstanding performance carried out in the implementation of various components under the Comprehensive Vegetable Development Scheme, 2014-15”. With love, from the Kerala Department of Agriculture!
They do grow a few varieties of vegetables on the school premises, but the focus undoubtedly is on developing world class athletes. An Olympic medal is the ultimate dream, something which Usha missed by the proverbial whisker in 1984 in Los Angeles. She was just 20 at the time, finishing fourth in 400m hurdles in a photo finish. As to why the legend — who holds the remarkable honour of bagging five gold medals in a single athletics championship when she stood atop the podium in 100m, 200m, 400m, 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay in the 1985 Jakarta Asian Track and Field Meet — didn’t go on to win a medal in the biggest sporting extravaganza in subsequent editions at the peak of youth is a pointer to the lack of a proper system in India.
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That is where USHA, an interesting acronym for her academy, is attempting to make a difference. But the 14 years of its existence have been an odyssey of optimism, more than anything else. It is the unfinished dreams that lay themselves bare on the campus than its sterling achievements. Set amidst mesmerising greenery, with hills providing a cool and serene ambiance, the academy has the potential to become an exemplary Centre of Excellence, on par with world standards. The synthetic track sanctioned by the Union Sports Ministry in 2011 is yet to be completed and the skeleton of a modern gymnasium-cum-office building juts out like an eyesore on the 30 acres provided by the state government in rustic Kinalur, 30 kilometres north of Kozhikode.
For now, 16 trainees are making do with a mud track, and a small equipment-filled room for a gym. While they have the services of consultant medical experts and physiotherapists, a professional management and marketing wing is virtually non-existent. They manage things with a few die-hard supporters who take time out of personal lives to help the cause. But like the famous hashtag coined by West Ham United fans, #WeHavePayet, the school has Usha. She is father, mother, coach and mentor combined in one to the trainees, who seldom visit their houses. In fact, the former sprint queen’s dedication and conviction are infectious. That is what drives the academy, immaterial of the magnitude of the funds required to sustain its growth.
“If we can develop two athletes to the Olympic level, imagine what we can achieve if there is greater financial support?” asks Usha, referring to 800m national record holder Tintu Luka and rising one-lapper Jisna Mathew. “Although we have managed to set in motion a process to create quality infrastructure, much more needs to be done to upgrade it to a top class academy. Given the limited resources, I rate the progress as outstanding. It is not like taking mature athletes and giving them overseas training, or sending them to the national camp before being picked in the Indian team. We have picked up raw youngsters and developed them into international athletes at our own centre. That takes a lot of effort, both from our side and trainees,” she stresses.
As Usha describes the difficulties she had to go through, it becomes evident that there is an unwritten rule that Usha has to be there in person for sources to release assistance. “Approximately `40 lakh,” she says, is required annually.
“It is through my name that any help is forthcoming. There is no other system in place at the moment. I have to go myself to find sponsors or any financial assistance. I have no problem with working hard for the school, but just that, at times, off-field matters hinder training schedules.”
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The seeds of USHA were laid in 1999 when a group of sports lovers in the nearby town of Koyilandy approached the just-retired ‘Payyoli Express’ to start an athletics training centre. Being from the same region, she agreed. The lead voice of that initiative, PA Ajanachandran, continues to be a significant component of the school’s evolution as co-founder and general secretary. And he has a very relevant question. “What after Usha?” Ajanachandran wonders.
His dream, shared by Usha herself, is to turn the school into an institution that can stand the test of time, churning out world-class athletes for the nation. “Now, the school is functioning like an NGO. That won’t do. It has to become a proper club, with a full-fledged academy. We need to bring in experts to look at every aspect, be it administration, marketing, sports medicine, or physiotherapy; people who are full-time professionals. It should not remain like an Usha tuition centre. There needs to be an institutional framework. The greatest asset we have is PT Usha, and her sincerity. We cannot make her work so hard for everything, and thereby run the risk of losing out on the immense experience and knowledge that she has to offer,” he emphasises.
So how to go about taking the academy to the next level? Usha wants the government, and other agencies that care for the development of sports, to chip in. “This is not a closed centre. Everyone is welcome to contribute. We have submitted a proposal to the government to convert the Usha School of Athletics into a Centre of Excellence. That would ensure sufficient funding to employ qualified professionals to take care of various facets of running a top class academy. It will also help me concentrate more on training athletes. The ideal situation would be for the government to support from the outside, while we continue to run the academy,” she elaborates.
However, she knows accomplishing that task is far easier said that done. “The attitude of the society has to change. Many still think it is an easy job being a sportsperson. At the same time, they also want to see results on the international arena. Winning medals requires not only tremendous effort but also proper funding. More importantly, athletes require international exposure at a young age to keep abreast of world standards. There is no substitute for the experience gained from regular top class competition,” Usha says.
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For the time being, though, the big-budget plans can wait. The focus is purely on helping Tintu and Jisna deliver their best in Rio. The heartening aspect is the team culture the management has been able to inculcate among the trainees. They care for each other and are willing to do extra so that one among them can work on ironing out any particular flaw. And Usha has been there for them to instruct, correct, reprimand and offer a shoulder of solace when needed.
“We are like a family, and everyone is ready to help each other,” says Tintu, who has been with the school from the inaugural batch. “It is all basically down to Usha chechi (sister). That she is a legend in Indian athletics is in itself a great inspiration for us. Her dedication is such that we have the moral obligation to reciprocate and work as hard as she wants us to.”
Well, the performances certainly show that the aspiring athletes under Usha’s wings are not short of motivation.
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