Kerala School 'Olympics': Thiruvananthapuram, average in athletics, outstanding in everything else

Thiruvananthapuram had an anticlimactic end to the Kerala School Games modelled on the 'Olympics'. The penultimate event on the final day of the week-long showpiece saw a team from the capital disqualified from the senior boys' 4X400m relay for a foul start.

Mohammed Ashfaq, who was later declared the joint-Best Male Athlete in track & field, with two gold medals, was waiting to run the anchor leg for Thiruvananthapuram when his teammate was shown the red card and removed from the track." I was hoping to add a third gold to my personal tally.. it was so unfortunate," Ashfaq said.

In the past, when the Kerala School Games athletics was held separately from Aquatics and Games, each setback, like this unfortunate disqualification, would have had a significant impact on the final district-wise standings. But this edition was modelled on the Olympics, and the minor slip-up made no difference to Thiruvananthapuram's place in the overall standings.

At the close of the Games on the Maharaja's College Synthetic Tracks in Ernakulam Monday afternoon, marking the end of 725 events, Thiruvananthapuram's tally read a whopping 1,925 points, comprising 541 medals, including 227 gold. By comparison, the race for the second place was tighter, with Thrissur (848 points) edging Malappuram (824).

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presented the 'Chief Minister's Ever-rolling Trophy' to representatives from Thiruvananthapuram at the Maharaja's College Ground in Ernakulam. General Education Minister V Sivankutty, the chief patron of the Games, was present, alongside a few of his cabinet colleagues and football legend I M Vijayan among others.

Domination in Games, Aquatics
Thiruvananthapuram did not do its best business in track and field. From the 96 athletic events, Thiruvananthapuram could only manage 9 gold medals, including Ashfaq's two in senior boys' 400m and 400m hurdles events. So, where did all the other medals come from? Thiruvananthapuram amassed its medals from the swimming pools (74 gold, 56 silver, 60 bronze) and in Games (144 gold, 88 silver, 100 bronze).

In aquatics, six of the top seven schools were from Thiruvananthapuram, namely Madhava Vilasom HSS Thundathil, Government VHSS Pirappancode, Government HSS Venjarammood, Government Girls HSS Kanniakulangara and Government HSS Neduveli, Vembayam. Together, they accounted for 318 points or 16% of the district's overall tally.

Thiruvananthapuram schools also impressed in the Games, with three of its institutions finding a place in the top five in the best schools race, namely St. Joseph's HSS Thiruvananthapuram, Government Girls HSS Cottonhill and Government VHSS Vattiyoorkave. Two other Thiruvananthapuram schools were placed in the top ten, namely St. Mary's HSS Pattom and JP HSS Ottasekharamangalam.

Collectively, they accumulated 245 points or 12% of their overall tally. In addition, GV Raja Sports School, Centralised Sports Hostels and Sports Authority of India Centres in Thiruvananthapuram also played a significant role in helping the southernmost district outwit the competition.

Best Athletes (following is the list of the best athletes in track & field):
Senior boys (joint winners): Muhammed Ameen AP (KKM HSS, Cheekode), Servan KC (GHSS, Kuttamath), Mohammed Ashfaq (GV Raja Sports School)
Senior girls: Jyothika M (HS Parli, Palakkad)
Junior boys: Amruth M (KHS Kumaramputhur, Palakkad)
Junior girls: Sreya R (St Joseph's GHSS, Alappuzha)
Sub-Junior boys: Sayooj P K (GV Raja Sports School)
Sub-Junior girls: Alkka Shinoj (St George's HSS, Kulathuvayal, Kozhikode).