Udhagamandalam:

Ooty’s Olympic dreams may very well be fulfilled by a young soldier from the Madras Regimental Centre (MRC) at Wellington in the Nilgiris who has qualified for the London Olympic Games.

Twenty-two-year-old Sepoy K T Irfan is the third Indian walker to qualify for the Games when he finished 19th in the World Race Walking Cup at Saransk in Russia on May 12, covering 20km in 1:22:09 hours. The ‘A’ standard in the 20km walk event for the Olympics is 1:22:30 hours.

Since his enrolment in the army, Irfan has been working hard and his perseverance paid off in 2011 when he won the national championship in the 20km walk held in Kolkata and Patiala. He participated in various state and national events, setting records on two occasions in Cochin and Patiala.

“The soldier has made his regiment, the Indian Army and the entire nation proud. Through hard work, unparalleled focus and devotion, he has qualified for the Olympics,” said Brigadier S S Jadhav, VSM, commandant of MRC.

Irfan hails from a modest family in Kizhuparamba village in Malapuram district in Kerala. He chose to join the Madras regiment as a sepoy in 2010 and completed his training period of one year in 2011. At the regiment centre he had been given special one-on-one training.

Irfan has won more than a dozen awards including TN State Athletics Championship in 2010, Kerala State Athletics Meet award in 2010, Inter State Athletic Championship held in Bangalore in June 2011 and Open National Athletics Championship held in Kolkata and Patiala in 2011.

He returned from Russia just a couple of days ago and is training at the National Institute of Sports/ Olympic squad in Patiala. “My ambition is to excel in sports at the international level. I have got this far only because of MRC and I am grateful to the regiment. I was given special care and individual training which has enabled me to qualify for the London Olympic Games,” he said.

“Irfan’s achievement will motivate youngsters to join the army. He is the third soldier from MRC to enter the Olympic Games,” said Jadhav.

Famous footballer M Thangaraj, ‘dribbler par excellence,’ a native of Ooty serving at the MRC, played for the Madras Province. In 1948 he was selected for the Indian Olympic Team. He could not make the trip to England though. In 1953, as a member of the touring Indian team, he played in the USSR and Romania.

In 1981, Subedhar Major, I Ibrahim, attached to 9 Madras unit of the MRC, won the bronze medal in the 100 and 400 meters race in the Olympic Games. Ibrahim retired from service a few years ago.

Olympic dreams

Famous footballer M Thangaraj, ‘dribbler par excellence,’ a native of Ooty serving at the MRC, played for the Madras Province. In 1948 he was selected for the Indian Olympic Team.

In 1981, Subedhar Major, I Ibrahim, attached to 9 Madras unit of the MRC, won the bronze medal in the 100 and 400 meters race in the Olympic Games.

Quote

My ambition is to excel in sports at the international level. I have got this far only because of MRC and I am grateful to the regiment. I was given special care and individual training which has enabled me to qualify for the London Olympic Games — Sepoy K T Irfan, athlete

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Coimbatore / by Shanthi Thiagarajan / TNN / May 17th, 2012