Mangalore to Be Represented in Beijing Olympics
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Jun 29: Machettira Raju Pooavamma, a 18 year old girl from Mangalore will be a member of the 4x400 metres Indian relay team that will take part in Beijing olympics set to be staged later this year. The girl alongwith Satti Geetha, Chitra and Mandeep Kaur will make the relay foursome. The team, by clocking 3:28:29 in the second meet of the Asian Grand Prix, sealed their birth in the olympics. This relay squad has been putting up stellar performances in all the races held in the Asian GP.
Poovamma's coach Dinesh Kunder informed, that the Indian relay squad won two gold medals in the Asian GP held at Bangkok and Korat in Thailand. The squad bettered it's timing by four seconds at Korat as compared to it's earlier performance at Bangkok. Poovamma is a student of the city based Sri Dharmastala Manjunateshwara College of Business Management.
Poovamma's brilliance came to the fore when she won the bronze medal in the Asian junior meet in 4x400 metres category, held at Macau, China in the year 2005. She had also won the gold at the SAF Games held in Colombo in 2006. Poovamma also won thebronze medal in the 400 metres race at the Asian Grand Prix held at Bangkok in 2006 and again one more bronze in the Asian Indoor Meet held in Macau in 2007. She will have one more chance to prove her mettle in the final leg of the Asian GP to be held in Hanoi on Monday, June 30.
Raju, father of Poovamma says, that he did not have much hope about Poovamma's chances. Himself and Poovamma's mother Jaji and brother Manju are full of praise of Poovamma for making the best of the opportunity that came her way. Kunder is hopeful, that he would be allowed to accompany his ward for the olympics trip and is sure, that Poovamma's future in the area of athletics will be long lasting and extremely fruitful.