TNAA secretary proud of girls

“As a woman office bearer of the TNAA, I am extremely proud of what the girls have achieved. I expected Revathi and Subha to qualify for the Games in mixed 4x400m relay. I thought that Dhanalakshmi and Archana Suseendran would go to the Games as part of the women’s 4x100m relay team,” Latha told DT Next on Tuesday. “They were on the verge of missing out following Hima Das’s injury. But, Dhanalakshmi got a chance to compete in the 400m trials and took it with both hands.”Beside the three women, two Tamil Nadu male athletes – Arokia Rajiv and Naganathan Pandi – have been named in the men’s 4x400m relay squad. “For the first time, five athletes from Tamil Nadu will represent the country at a single Olympics. Last time around, four athletes from the state qualified for the Games, with all of them being men. Of the five that have made the cut for Tokyo 2020, three are women. So, I am extremely happy,” said Latha.

“Earlier, cash prizes were awarded only to athletes who returned with a medal. But this time, incentives are being handed by the Chief Minister for all those who have qualified. I feel that such acts will encourage the athletes to perform better.”