'Shades of Beenamol in Vijayakumari'

BANGALORE: Young Vijayakumari put her traumatic experience at the Asian Youth Games in Nanjing behind her as she powered to the gold in girls U-18 400m race to lead Karnataka's medal hunt in the Junior Nationals on Thursday.
After taking the blessings of her coach Lakshmisha, Vijayakumari was off in a flash as she attacked the first bend. She was in the clear after just 200 metres before powering through the home stretch and finishing with a big lead."It is just God's gift," her coach said when asked about Vijayakumari powerful run.
Lakshmisha said he was happy his ward was returning to peak form. "It was quite a task to get her back on the track after she was expelled from the Asian Youth Games and returned to Delhi," he said. The two young girls were then left to fend for themselves and only timely help from an Army officer helped Vijayakumari and Namitha to return home safe.
Hailing from Gowdenahalli, a remote village near Mandya, Vijayakumari was spotted by her coach during a school competition. From then on there was no looking back. She is now a trainee at the SAI training centre in Kengeri and a student of Sri Gandhada Kavala college on Magadi.
Vijayakumari was happy with the facilities at SAI and said she was determined to do better. "She is eligible to join the Centre of Excellence (CoE) which will provide her with a better diet. She says she can't eat much so she wants to continue under STC," the coach said.
"I see shades of KM Beenamol in her and am sure if she continues her hard work she will be a worthy successor to the Kerala star," said Lakshmisha, who trained Beenamol during her early days at the GV Raja Sports School in Trivandrum.
No relay team for hosts
Meanwhile, Karnataka failed to enter a team in boys U-20 4x100m relay as two athletes left to take part in the Dharwad university meet. "The team management has allowed the boys to travel even as it entered the state team for the relay," a Karnataka Amateur Athletics Association (KAAA) official said, passing the blame on to the coach and the manager for the mess.