An 18-year-old triple jumper from Coimbatore is the proud recipient of a bronze medal at the recent World School Athletics championship organized by theWuhan High School in China.

S. Nandhini, of CRR Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Ondipudur, is a Class XII student who has brought laurels to the school and the city. Nandhini is a student of the Athletic Foundation, which is functioning at Nehru Stadium, Coimbatore. She is also the fourth girl from the Athletic Foundation academy to represent India at an international competition.

Nandhini is being trained under coach T. Nandha Kumar, a senior national bronze medalist. “She is one of the best athletes of our academy. I firmly believe that she can be one of the greatest athletes for the senior Indian side,” the coach said.

The CRR Matriculation School has sponsored Rs.2 lakhs for Nandhini to take part in the international championships. “I started my career at the age of 9 and have been working hard for all these years. I have participated in many state- and national-level competitions, but a call to represent India is one of the greatest things that ever happened to me,” she said.

Nandhini had won medals at different competitions. She was a shortlisted candidate to represent India. She had also won the gold medal at the 2012 national-level meet.

About the international experience, she said, “The conditions were very different there. I had a problem with the climate for a few days, but later got adapted to it. I thank my school management, coaches, family, and my teammates, who encouraged me from the very beginning. We were very happy when I got a call from the national side,” Nandhini said, smiling.

“I have not achieved anything in my life, but I want my daughter to fulfill all her dreams. She made us proud by clinching an international medal at such a young age. We want her to be one of the greatest athletes of India,” Sathyanaraynan, the girl’s father, said.