PT Usha missed the 1984 Olympics bronze medal in the 400-metre hurdles by a whisker — one-hundredth of a second to be precise! At 46, India’s sprint queen, popularly known as the ‘Payyoli Express’, is still running and clearing hurdles, both literally and figuratively, to help young girl athletes to win medals at the best international track and field events, including the Olympics.

Usha School of Athletics, started by her in 2002 at a rented house in Koyilandy near Kozhikode, in Kerala, with Rs 10,000 from her savings, has recently moved into a 30-acre campus in Kinalur village, 20 km from Kozhikode city. Kinalur was in the news recently when the police clashed with villagers who protested a four-lane approach road to the proposed industrial park being set up by the state government-owned Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) and the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), a statutory body established in Malaysia.

The residential school at the foot of a hill can house 40 athletes, has a multi gym, a 400-metre mud track and space earmarked for a synthetic track. The school now trains 19 athletes. Speaking to Financial Chronicle, during an early morning training session at the new campus, Usha does not hold back her anger and frustration in dealing with successive governments at the state and at the centre to create a sporting infrastructure even as she directs her protégé Tintu Luka to complete the 800-metre run in less than two minutes.

“We got 30 acres of land on lease from the government of Kerala and the government has also given us about Rs 60 lakh towards the construction of the mud track. The central government has ignored our several requests for financial assistance,” said Usha. “Everything else is by individuals, who, I think, really love sports. And perhaps many people support the school because they admire what I have done as an athlete.”

It was during an Infosys-sponsored event in Mangalore where Usha was invited to be a guest that she met TV Mohandas Pai, then the chief financial officer of the IT company. When she told Pai about the school, he was quick to offer Rs 10 lakh and connected her with PNC Menon of Sobha Developers. “Though it took several years to have our own campus, Menon kept his promise and we have a beautiful school building,” said Usha. “Running and hurdling are far easier than running an athletics school. It is literally a struggle to see that we have funds to support every need of each athlete. That does not mean that we compromise anything.”

She has approached several corporate organisations including the Sahara Group, the Tata group, Mahindra & Mahindra, Wipro, and Samsung. “I think no one wants to invest at the grassroots levels. Once athletes have achieved a certain level of performance, there are sponsors for that individual. Like Tintu Luka. But we need more such Tinu Lukas and for that we need more funds,” said Usha. “There is tremendous talent at the local level, so the problem is not lack of talent, but what is important is the availability of sporting infrastructure and training facilities.”

Luka made a promising entry to the top echelons of athletics in a personal best of 2:00.79 to finish eighth in the 800-metre race in the final leg of the Diamond League series in Brussels on August 27.

Luka will take part in the top-flight VTB Continental Cup in Split, Croatia, from September 3 to 4, representing Asia in the event. This event was earlier known as the World Cup of Athletics. Two best athletes of the season from four continental groupings — Asia Pacific, Africa, Americas and Europe — will compete in each event.

“All that I want is Tintu has to be invited to participate in a few international events and her performance has to be noticed. That will ensure her entry to 2012 London Olympics even more easy,” said Usha with an optimistic smile on her face. “If I have committed to achieve something, I will make sure that I get it,” she said. Perhaps she needs to still run around to make sure a student from her school wins an Olympic medal.