P T Usha Urges Parents to Encourage Girls in Sports

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Jan 18, 2026: Renowned athlete and Olympian P T Usha on Sunday urged parents to encourage girl children to pursue sports and showcase their talent, stressing that identifying and nurturing ability at the grassroots level is the need of the hour.

Ms. Usha, founder of the Usha School of Athletics, conducted a girls’ athletics talent identification camp at Mangala Stadium here in association with the Infosys Foundation and the GoSports Foundation. The camp was held under the “Gear for Gold” programme.

PT Usha said young talent selected from Mangaluru will advance to the final round of selection at the Usha School of Athletics in Kinalur, Kerala, in February. Similar talent identification camps will be organised in Madurai on January 31 and Vijayawada on February 7. Athletes finally selected will undergo a residential training programme at the academy, with the possibility of full-time training.

Recalling her own journey, Ms. Usha said her success was possible only due to the support of her parents. “In many cases, support comes only after athletes win medals. Talent must be nurtured from the grassroots to achieve success at national and international levels,” she said.

Launched in October 2022, the “Gear for Gold” programme aims to strengthen India’s sporting ecosystem by focusing on academies, coaches and infrastructure. The initiative emphasises early talent identification and holistic athlete development, including training, nutrition, recovery, competition exposure and overall well-being.

Around 500 girl athletes aged between 11 and 14 participated in the Mangaluru trials, where they underwent standardised assessments to evaluate their overall athletic ability.