Inter-state Athletics Championships: With a little help from her twin ser, Vithya Ramraj makes a mark in 400 metres

With four athletes clocking Asian Games qualifying timings in the women’s 400m semifinal, expectations were high ahead of the final at the National Inter-state Senior Athletics Championships at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar. The quarter milers certainly did not disappoint. With the top-two finishers clocking sub-52-second timings, this was one of the fastest 400 metre races held on Indian soil. Anjali Devi stole the show with a scorching 51.48s, the fastest quarter-mile run an Indian since 2016. Haryana’s Himanshi Malik (Haryana) gave her a run for her money with 51.76 secs. There was another steady riser who almost went unnoticed on the podium despite clocking three sub-53 runs in two days.
Tamil Nadu’s Vithya Ramraj clocked 52.49s, well within AFI’s qualifying guideline of 53.49s, to win the bronze medal. The third-place finish in a quality field was a shot in the arm for Vithya. Vithya, who feels more confident in the 400m hurdles, is one of the most improved athletes on the circuit. She clocked the second fastest time in the semfinals with 52.43s. She also improved her personal best twice in as many events.
Once a regular at the national camp, Vithya quit the setup after 400m chief coach Galina Bukharina left abruptly around November last year. Vithya was on the verge of quitting the sport entirely but decided to train outside the camp. It was a decision that even her parents did not support initially. But the 24-year-old needed that break to not only work on her technique but also on her self-belief. “I needed a lot of individual attention. I wasn’t ready to train with a new coach after ma’am left and just felt a little lost. I know I am a better runner than most of the people on the circuit but during competitions I get intimidated. I still have to work on my self-belief,” Vithya said.

But not being in the national camp came at a cost. She no longer had the cushion of free training, food and accommodation besides other allowances. Her truck driver father did not have the resources to fund her elite-level training. That’s when her best friend and identical twin Nithya stepped in. Nithya is also also a national-level athlete and competes in the 100m hurdles.
“My ser had a job so she took care of all my training expenses. She has always backed me and that is the reason I am continuing with the sport,” she said. But those testing times are behind her. She recently secured a job with the railways. With the assurance of a steady income, Vithya could focus on her sport without draction. She teamed up with former athlete Nehpal Singh, who has been guiding her since she left the camp. Nehpal’s roots are in Rajasthan but he has settled in Chennai where he trains a handful of athletes at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.With Vithya, Nehpal feels, it has always been an issue of speed and endurance. “She always led the first 300m but ran out of steam at the business end. We have worked on that area a lot,” Nehpal said.

51.48 seconds. Anjali Devi wins gold in 400m at 62nd national inter state senior athletics championship in Bhubaneshwar. pic.twitter.com/uH95Uid5A4
— Athletics Federation of India (@afiindia) June 16, 2023
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Vithya came to the limelight at the 2021 Open Nationals where she won three gold medals — 400m, 400m hurdles and 400m relay. Although the final call on who will make the flight to Hangzhou for the Asian Games will be taken after the selection committee meeting post the inter-state meet, she is likely to make the cut for the relay team if not the 400m individual event.
She still has her preferred 400m hurdles event to compete in at the inter-state. It hasn’t been an easy road for the Ramraj sers with their father working extra shifts as a truck driver to put food on the table. Sports has not only brought them recognition but much-needed financial stability. “More than the medals, I am proud of the fact that I could ask my Dad to quit his job. We sers take care of the family now. I feel great joy,” Vithya said.
Vithya was also extremely happy about fulfilling her mother’s dream of flying in an aeroplane when she booked her tickets from Chennai to Bhubaneshwar to be at the inter-state meet. “I cannot express the joy I feel when I get to fulfil my parent’s dreams,” she said. So what’s next on their parents’ wishl: “An Asian Games medal. And wait, my Dad, wants us to get a car as well.”
Key results: (Women) 400m (AG Q 52.96 secs) 1. Anjali Devi (Haryana) 51.48 secs, 2. Himanshi Malik (Haryana) 51.76 secs, 3. R Vithya Ramraj (Tamil Nadu) 52.49 secs; 1500m (AG Q 4:15.49 secs) 1. KM Deeksha 4:06.07 secs (Madhya Pradesh) 2. Harmilan Bains (Punjab) 4:08.50 secs, 3. Chanda (Delhi) 4:09.39 secs; (Men) 400m (AG Q 46.17 secs) 1. Kalinga Kumarage (Sri Lanka) 45.64 secs, 2. Muhammed Anas (Kerala) 45.76 secs, 3. Muhammed Ajmal (Kerala) 45.90 secs; 800m: 1. Krishan Kumar (Haryana) 1:46.17 secs, 2.Mohammed Afsal (Kerala) 1:47.47 secs, 3. Pradeep Sentil Kumar (Tamil Nadu) 1:48.10 secs.