Trichy: The district athletics association and Makkal Sakthi Iyakkam on Monday felicitated a young athlete who won two medals in the recent national and state-level athletics championship held at Delhi and Chennai respectively. Stating that school and college students in rural Trichy in the recent past have been making a mark in state and national athletics championship and even in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics, the associations demanded sports training infrastructure to be developed in tier-II towns of the district.
A Suraj, a class XII student from Trichy, has secured a silver medal in 400 metres running in the national under-18 athletics championship at New Delhi last week. Later, at the state-level athletics championship for men held at Chennai, Suraj won a bronze medal in 400 metres running. On his return to Trichy, D Raju, secretary of Tiruchi district athletics association, and other representatives of sports development organisations felicitated the youth for his achievement.
In the recent past, as more than four athletes from Trichy have made a mark at various events, the associations batted for sports infrastructure and appropriate coaching in the small towns in the district. “At present, coaching is provided at the district headquarters, but the athletes have to travel from their villages. Training can be provided in small towns near the villages,” K C Neelamegam, state treasurer, Makkal Sakthi Iyakkam said. The associations have planned to meet sports minister Siva V Meyyanathan.