Women’s Athletics: ‘Tintu needs more exposure’

Sprint legend P.T. Usha was not happy with the facilities and arrangements at the recently-concluded Federation Cup athletics championship, saying that the lack of latest technology affected the athletes’ performance during the event.

Usha, who did the honours at the victory ceremony of the women’s 800m race in which Tintu Luka grabbed the yellow metal, was particularly critical of the organisers not providing electronic timers which flash lap timing of the runners.

“It’s okay for 100m or 200m races but in events like 800m or more distance, an athlete needs to know his or her timing after each lap and accordingly plan what to do in the remaining distance.

“For example, Tintu did not know her first lap timing and so did not know at what speed to run in the last lap to do better timing,” said Usha, who missed a bronze medal in 400m hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics by a whisker.

On Luka, who has already qualified for the Rio Games, Usha said her ward will have at least three competitions in Europe — at Grand Prix Level — in the run-up to the Olympics.

“Tintu will take part in events in London, Brussels and Prague before the Olympics. We are also trying if she can get an entry in the prestigious Diamond League opening leg in Doha on May 6. If she can get there and do well, then she can get entry in other legs of the Diamond League (which has 14 legs),” she said.

“Tintu needs competition outside the country because in India, she has nobody to push her and every time she will run alone and win races by huge margins. Outside India, like in Europe, she can do better as the competition is very tough,” she added.

Days ahead of the Federation Cup, a number of athletes failed to book Rio berths due to a power failure at the JLN Stadium. As a result the timings were hand written and thus were not taken into consideration.

Usha was not happy with New Delhi staging the Federation Cup national athletics either saying the dust and pollution in the national capital had an adverse effect on the performance of the athletes participating in the event.

“Delhi is too dusty and pollution level is high. Tintu Luka had to cover heads and faces while doing practice and warm up”, said Usha.