Money hurdle to promising Udupi athlete's plan to compete in France

Udupi: Madhurya, an SSLC student from Hiliyana, Brahmavara, who has won first place in the discus throw event at a national level tournament hosted by the School Games Federation of India, now plans to compete in the International School of Federation's athletic meet in France from May 14 to May 22.

Her poor parents, however, are concerned about raising Rs 2.5 lakh needed to send her to the tournament. Krishnamurthy Shetty, Madhurya's father, is a mason while her mother Poornima Shetty is a homemaker.

Madhurya, who was in Class 6 in 2017, had won first place in the zonal shot put and discus throw competitions and third place in the taluk and district discus throw tournaments. She continued to record new achievements in the shot put, discus throw, and long jump. She was chosen for a national level sports tournament in Punjab in 2019. Madhurya is officially qualified to compete in the 19th edition of the ISF gymnasiade, which will be held in Normandy, France from May 14 to May 22.

She won first place in the selection trail in the discus throw event conducted by the School Games of India Federation in Bhubaneswar in March. Lingaraju BH, headmaster, Government High School, Ajjarakad, Udupi, said that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Madhurya and that if educationists and philanthropists in Udupi will chip in to financially support her, she will attend the event in France.