On the right track

MUMBAI: Her favourite subject is history and she has already made history. Sanaya Ichhaporia, a VIII standard student from Christ Church school, is the only athlete to have ever set two records in the MSSA athletics meet, which concluded at the University Pavilion here on Tuesday.

Despite entries increasing every year, the zeal and the spirit of the competitors has seemed to dwindle of late. This Christ Church girls stands apart from the rest in this oldest athletic championship.

Sanaya, who set the ball rolling by setting a new 200m record on Monday, continued her fine run by erasing yet another one in the 100m on Tuesday to finish the meet on a high.

It was the 2004 All Parsi Foundation sports meet which gave her a liking for athletics. After emerging as the individual champion in the under-10 section there has been turning back for this girl.

“I am thrilled to receive the award from the hands of Anju Bobby George. I want to be like her,” says Sanaya after receiving the individual championship trophy.

In all, she has won 70 gold, 14 silver and five bronze medals at different levels of competition. The day starts early for Sanaya, as when she, along with her coach Savio D’Souza, takes to the Priyardarshini track first thing in the morning. She credits all her laurels to her coach. “It is all because of his training I have been able to win medals,” she says.