He’s made it to the Tokyo Olympics 4x400m relay and can be representing India on the Games later this month. But, his mother and father – Pandi, a construction labourer and Panchavarnam, a homemaker – hardly have any inkling of how important their son’s feat is. However, for his colleagues on the Tamil Nadu Police, that is a historic leap as one from their service has made it to the world’s greatest sporting occasion. Zee News English spoke to the 25-year previous sprinter to know his journey to this point.
Growing up, Naganathan by no means had it simple. His father’s meagre earnings from working as a construction or agricultural labourer was what fed the 5 youngsters and their homemaker mom. It was a wrestle for his mother and father to even make ends meet, whereas additionally guaranteeing that the 5 youngsters acquired their schooling. After they turned 15, Naganathan and his brother labored as construction labourers, ferrying materials and performing masonry over the weekends to assist their household.
It was round tenth grade (aged 15) that Naganathan had taken to operating. His foray was purely out of fascination from seeing his friends succeed on the monitor in his village faculty. He began off as a barefoot runner, as sneakers had been an excessive amount of of a luxurious. With the assist of his bodily coaching instructor from faculty he ran 1500m races. Following his encouraging efficiency, the varsity gifted him a pair of operating spikes, by the point he was in twelfth grade.
While pursuing his BA History on the PTMTM school in his hometown, he continued his stellar runs by profitable golds on the school and University degree with 400m timings of almost 49 seconds. A certificates from having taken half in an All-India meet in Bengaluru made him eligible to use for a job within the State Police division, underneath the sports activities quota.
Having handed the doorway exams, he joined the Tamil Nadu Police in 2017 as a constable, with a posting in Chennai. To higher his monitor efficiency, regardless of having much less time to spare, he skilled earlier than and after his responsibility hours. It was Prabhakaran, a good friend and batch mate who acknowledged the inherent potential and coached Naganathan throughout his preliminary days within the service, within the absence of a devoted coach.
To proceed his coaching and diet, alongside along with his primary residing bills in an costly metropolis like Chennai, Naganathan even secured a mortgage of Rs.5 lakhs – of which he spent 3 lakhs for his wants and supplied the remaining to his household, again dwelling in Ramanathapuram. Manikandan, an athlete since his education and additionally Naganathan’s roommate was additionally instrumental in serving to the sprinter deal with accidents and higher his method, moreover making the mandatory association for coaching and tools.
Since 2019, there was no wanting again for Naganathan who went on to bag a person Gold (400m) on the Chief Minister’s Meet, a gold on the 400m particular person and relay occasions within the All India Police meet in Chandigarh, adopted by one other gold within the 400m people on the Indian Grand Prix. He additionally ran a private finest and accomplished the 400m sprint in 46.09 seconds on the Federation Cup, which took him to the Indian Camp at Patiala that was coaching sportspersons for the Olympics.
To at the present time, his associates proceed to lend him cash to assist his coaching and primary wants. The sprinter says that he repays his associates promptly after he receives his wage, however no matter stays is barely adequate for his sustenance. Recently, he was additionally gifted a operating package by the Greater Chennai Police.
Until he began profitable massive on the National degree, Naganathan didn’t even inform his mother and father about his athletics coaching and achievements. All this was owing to worry of backlash from his uneducated mother and father, who wished their 5 youngsters to proceed and give attention to their respective tutorial pursuits and careers to assist the household. In the eyes of his mother and father, sports activities are a unnecessary pursuit, within the face of all their struggles to fend for themselves.
Now he coyly admits that his mother and father have some data in regards to the Olympics and are pleased about his feats. He credit his siblings for having satisfied their mother and father and conveyed the message of his having received the coveted ticket and an India jersey to Tokyo.
