Grit personified: A new shining star on Tamil Nadu's athletic horizon

Equaling the 39-year-old record held by the country's golden girl, PT Usha, the 25-year-old daughter of a truck driver, Vithya Ramraj, from Coimbatore has emerged as the new track queen on Indian track and field. Clocking a blistering 55.68 seconds in the 400 m hurdles, she secured a bronze at the Asian Games in Hangzhou while her twin sister, Nithya came fourth.

Coimbatore(Tamil Nadu):From winning gold with torn shoes and bleeding feet in a local tournament in Madurai a few years ago, Vithya Ramraj has now secured a bronze at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. It is a story of determination, perseverance and hope against all odds. Second of three girl children of a truck driver father and homemaker mother, she has overcome many hurdles and scaled greater heights in her quest to achieve excellence in athletics.

The bronze was very special, for she had equaled the record held by 'Payalli Express' PT Usha, the golden girl, with a blistering time of 55.68 seconds in the 400 mt hurdles. Her twin sister, Nithya, who also participated in that event, came fourth. This is Vithya's second medal at Hangzhou as she had bagged the silver in the 4x400 mt relay mixed event. Every step from Madurai to Hangzhou was a struggle for her.

Till now living in a rented house in rural Meenakshipuram, the family had moved to their newly-built house, amid farmland, only recently. Having married off the eldest, allowing the twin daughters to chase their dreams in the field and track was not that easy in the face of hand-to-mouth existence and social mores. “Rather than getting them married, why send them for sports? They are girls, how will you ensure their marriage?” was the question we faced from the neighbours, recalled Meena, now the proud mother.

“Disregarding what others say, we encouraged them to take up sports though it was a financial burden. Realising their interest, we wanted them to chase their dreams. Even now, it is very difficult. A sports shoe costs Rs 25,000 and even that will last only a few months. Now, for the Asian Games, the government is bearing the expenses. But, earlier we paid for the airfare for sending them abroad besides other expenses,” she told ETV Bharat. “The two daughters have got government jobs under the sports quota, making things a little better,” she said, adding that they have moved to their own house only recently.

Vithya is a three-time national champion and Nithya, too, has taken part in state-level national events, which helped them land a government job. “While girls of their age would prefer marriage, they are determined to stamp their mark in the Olympics. And for that they have been preparing very hard,” says Ramraj admitting that his daughters having landed in government jobs has given him some respite.

Despite being a truck driver with meagre earnings, Ramraj ignored the insinuations of neighbours and relatives but strived hard to support his daughters in realising their dreams. When the girls won trophies at school, he put them under a coach to hone their skills. “In the beginning, my daughters got their training routine with worn-out shoes while others would come to the ground with branded ones. Then, running the family itself was difficult. And with three daughters, we silently stomached the ridicule of our near and dear ones. But, the two younger ones have chosen sports and have earned accolades for the nation,” says Ramraj.

However, tears roll down his cheeks when he discloses that the entire village is waiting to receive Vithya and Nithya with a grand celebration on their return from Hangzhou. With posters and banners hailing their achievement, they are the village's pride. By overcoming all odds, they have ensured a place for the nondescript Meenakshipuram on the world map of sports.