Indian athletes have invariably suffered heartbreaks at the Olympics and one such excruciating moment came way back in the 1984 Los Angeles Games. It was the 400m hurdles event in which sprint queen P T Usha missed out on a bronze medal by one-hundredth of a second. No Indian has come close to winning an Olympic medal in track and field since.
Usha recalled those moments during an interactive session with Malayala Manorama readers.
Here are some select questions from the session and Usha’s answers to them:
Recently, you’ve blamed it on lack of sporting infrastructure and facilities for your narrow loss at the Los Angeles Olympics. Has there been any effort to improve sports infrastructure in India thereafter?
Jijo Antony, Mukhathala, Kollam.
That’s not exactly what I said. Lack of international exposure and inexperience was the main reason why I missed out on a podium finish agonisingly. The infrastructure is better now and our training programmes are top-class. Yet, I believe Indian athletes can do much better if they have more international exposure.
We have seen you breaking into tears at public functions. Being your ardent fans, we want you to be bold and confident always. Hope we will not see you crying again…
Sheeja Anil, Kaplippara, Mundur, Palakkad.
I used to be very sensitive. I could not hold back my emotions when I was dragged into needless controversies. I’m not a politician to put up a brave face on every situation.
Biopics on sportspersons is the latest trend. If a movie is made on your life, which actor will be apt to play that role?
Subin Parambikkattil, VR Puram, Chalakudy.
It doesn’t matter who the actor is, but there is one condition: she should be able to run at least 10 metres like me!
Who is your favourite female sportsperson?
Akshay Krishna, Kuthambulli, Kaniyarkode, Thrissur.
It has to be P V Sindhu. I've known her since she was a child.
Have you ever thought about quitting sports while going through a tough situation?
Subin, Vallikkunnam, Alappuzha.
My performance was below par at the 1988 Seoul Olympics due to a nagging injury. I seriously considered quitting sports when I was accused of disloyalty and betrayal by certain persons.
Why didn’t you encourage your son to be an athlete? You could have realised the dream of winning an Olympic medal through your son.
Sunil Kumar, Poonjar, Kottayam.
I could not spend much time with my son Ujjwal when he was a child. Though I had taken him along when I became a coach, he had lost interest in a career in athletics by then. He completed the MBBS degree and did a diploma in sports medicine. He was planning to got to Norway to attend an examination when COVID-19 happened.
Who is your most favourite ward?
Tintu Luka, Kannur.
All are my favourite students. As they say, a mother shares a special bonding with the eldest child, her first born. I have a special liking for Tintu, as she is the first one to train under me. Yes, you are my favourite disciple!
