Kerala State School Athletics meet: New talent eyes new marks

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The budding talents of the state are finally getting an opportunity to showcase their skills on the biggest stage of their nascent careers as the Kerala State School Athletics meet gets underway here on Saturday after a two-year hiatus. 2,737 athletes from 14 districts will vie for glory in 98 events under six age categories in the 64th edition of the four-day meet.
Uncertainty and anxiety were palpable amongst the athletes and coaches who turned up at the Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium here on the eve of the meet.The Covid-induced break has brought about changes in the mentality of athletes and the coaches are unsure of their performance levels.
The majority of the athletes who made it big in the previous edition held at Kannur in 2018 have completed their schooling and moved to the next level of competitions. The present crop of athletes who will be vying for glory at Thiruvananthapuram are an inexperienced lot who are yet to perform on the big stage.
“Even we as coaches are not sure on how these kids will perform. These events are more about testing the mentality and grit of these athletes and we are yet to see how they will handle the high-pressure situations,” said Shibi Mathew, coach of defending champions Mar Basil HSS, Kothamangalam.
At the same time, the fitness levels of these athletes also raise concerns. According to their teachers, after Covid these kids are taking longer than usual to recover.
"We are not able to portray a particular athlete as a medal contender. If an athlete falls sick today evening, he is not able to recover for at least another seven days. Even a mild cold is affecting their fitness badly," said PG Manoj, the physical education teacher of HSS, Parli in Palakkad. The school had played a huge role in Palakkad winning the ‘Champion district’ title at Kannur.
However, the authorities’ decision to hold the events under the floodlights has come as a blessing for these athletes. “It's better not to expose the children in scorching sunlight in the noon. We faced a difficult situation in the district meet where 30-40 children fell sick after competing in humid conditions. These are a new crop of athletes who are slowly gaining competitive experience," said Shibi.