Beyond the hurdles

It’s not everyday that a student from Bengaluru wins laurels in sports on an international level. Meet Meghna Shetty, a final-year B.Com student of St Joseph’s College of Commerce, who recently took part in the Asian Junior Athletic Championship and emerged triumphant.

The athlete came second in the 100 metres hurdle competition of the event that was held in Taipei, Taiwan and terms the experience as an amazing one. “It was my first international competition and I saw so many athletes and learnt a number of different exercises from them,” she recalls.  

Meghna started training at the age of ten. “I always loved sports and entered the field thanks to my mother. At first, I was not that serious about athletics and would just train in the mornings. But later, I thought I should start competing and now, I have been hurdling for ten years,” she adds.

Ask her about her daily routine and she says, “I start my day at 5.45 am and train till 7.30 am. Then after college, I train once again between 4 pm and 6.30 pm.” 

Is it hard to balance it with her academics? She answers, “I have been managing it with my studies for ten years now. So the practice actually helps me focus better. I know that the little time that I have in the evenings is all that I have to study properly.” However, during exams, it does get challenging. “I am not off from training at that time and sometimes, even I am injured or exhausted from training, I can’t take a break,” she notes.  

Meghna feels that there are plenty of talented sportspeople in the country, yet India is unable to make a mark worldwide in sports due to less exposure.

“Just like how the cricket team is sent for different tournaments abroad and appreciated when it wins, all sportspersons should be sent for more international competitions and given a chance to showcase their talent abroad,” she explains.