Duo go the distance to get the best runners
S. Indran (left) and A. Trapadi (right)
Both are part of the junior development programme that was initiated by the National Sports Council (NSC) in 2003.
Their duties include picking the best students aged 14 to 16 and train them to represent the school and also the country.
The best part is they are also given the authority to search for new talents from different states.
“It’s not an easy process as we don’t rate the runners by the position in the tournaments but whether they have the right technique and ability to improve with our training methods,” said Indran.
“Some of the senior athletes who have finished their secondary school education are still training with the juniors and those who we feel are good, will be sent to compete in major competitions like the SEA Games or Asian Track and Field championships,” said Trapadi.
Among the events which their athletes will be taking part this year are the Malaysia Sports Council championships in Kuantan, Pahang (May), Asian School Games in Vietnam (July), Asian Track and Field Games in India and the SEA Games in Myanmar (December).
But even they admitted that the level of athletes being produced today is nowhere close to the ones in the 70s and 80s.Trapadi said back then, most of the runners used to have a full-time job with banks and private companies.“The companies would send the runners for competitions where they made a name for themselves before representing the country. Those days, runners were financially secure and were determined to give their all on the track.
“Students nowadays find it very hard to cope with both studies and sports as there is a need for proper paper qualification and this puts extra pressure on them to be equally good in both and this affects their performance on the track,” Trapadi said.
http://www.sports247.my/2013/01/duo-go-the-distance-to-get-the-best-runners/
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