Praveen doubles track joy

Buenos Aires, October 17

Praveen Chitravel won India’s second track and field medal at the Youth Olympics, a bronze in the men’s triple jump, on Tuesday evening.

The 17-year-old Praveen cleared a distance of 15.68m to finish fifth in Stage-2 of the triple jump competition on Tuesday night. His good show in Stage-1, in which he had finished third with a best jump of 15.84m, put him on the podium with a combined effort of 31.52m (an average of 15.76m).

There are no finals in track and field (except for 4km cross-country) in the Youth Olympic Games. Instead, each event is held twice and results from both rounds are taken into account for the final standings.

Alejandro Diaz of Cuba won gold with a combined effort of 34.18m (17.14m & 17.04m), ahead of silver winner Emmeanuel Oritsemeyiwa of Nigeria (16.34m + 15.51m).

India’s first athletics medal at YOG was secured by Suraj Panwar, who clinched a silver in the men’s 5000m race walk event on Monday.

Tough life

Praveen’s father is a farm labourer in a small village in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. The lives of farm labourers are very insecure — Praveen’s father is a daily-wage worker and family income is not steady. Praveen, thus, manages to support his career with stipends and help from well-wishers.

Praveen got lucky when he was spotted by an athletics coach, Indira Suresh, at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai. Indira took Praveen under her wing. When Indira moved to a college in Nagercoil, she got Praveen admitted in the same college.

Indira, an employee of the Sports Development Authority of India, said: “When Praveen was in Class VII at the CoE in Chennai, I spotted him and took him under me... When I was shifted to a college in Nagercoil, he also came to me and said he will train only under me.”

“He is from a very poor family,” she added. “He has an elder sister and a younger brother. His father’s meagre income cannot support the cost of his training.”

Praveen won a silver in the Junior National Championships in Coimbatore this year. Indira believes that the teenager has the potential to reach the highest level.

“Praveen has the talent and he is very hardworking. He rarely goes home, so his father comes to meet him,” Indira said.

Praveen is now studying in B.A. first year at a Mangalore college, though he still trains at Nagercoil. “Praveen goes to Mangalore only to appear for examinations as he gets exemption from the college to train at Nagercoil with me. He was earlier in the national camp briefly,” said Indira. “He gets some stipends and with some financial support from others, I am supporting him in his training, participation in competitions etc,” the coach said. “His family has no money to support him in his athletics career.” PTI, Agencies