Last month, Usha announced her retirement from international athletics. Soon after that she proceeded on a two-month leave from the Southern Railways to spend time with her husband V Sreenivasan and eight-year-old son Ujjwal.

Ushas, her home at Payyoli, is a treasure house decorated with the thousands of medals and trophies that she has won in the last 23 years. But retirement cannot make her sit idle at home. Usha and her husband are these days meticulously chalking out a grand plan to launch the Usha School of Athletics in her hometown.

A Rs 5 million project, the school, Usha says, will be the country's premier institute for training young talent. "I have only one dream in life now. I want my school to win an Olympic medal in 2004," she says.

As the Sydney Olympics gets underway this week, Usha is also preparing to leave for the Australian city soon "to watch and enjoy Olympics for the first time" as a spectator.

In an exclusive interview to George Iype, Usha reminisces about her athletic days, her best and worst memories, her struggles and her predictions for India's athletic future.

What compelled you to announce your retirement from the competitive world of athletics?

I have been running for more than 20 years now. I started my sports career in 1997. I took temporary retirement in 1990 and again resumed in 1993. When I came back in 1993, I had the desire to win an Olympic medal. In my entire sporting career, I achieved everything I aimed for, except an Olympic medal. The feeling that I could not get one had been hurting me for long and that is why I came back to the field soon after I became a mother.

But when I returned after a gap of three years I found that instead of muscles I had fat on my body. So reducing my weight was the most important and difficult thing.

After I came to the field, people used to tease me. They did not give me any peace. People criticised me for running again. It was as if being in the athletics field at the age of 28 was a sin in India! But my husband and family members encouraged me.

In European countries, athletes run at the age of 40. So I wanted to train under a good coach, but I found that nobody was there at the national camps to train me. I felt lonely.

Finally, one coach came to train me from Bangalore. Sadly, he tried to change my techniques and this made me very sad and angry. After many years of performing in my own unique way, the coach wanted to change my running techniques. I knew I would not fit in with his method. I told him so.

I still believe that if you want to change the techniques, then you have to do it in the early years, not when one is old. But he compelled mr and told me to jump with weight in the sand by crossing the legs in the air. That was a very difficult task. I tried it without weight in the grass. But fell down during training and had a knee injury.

So you felt disappointed with your second coming because of the faulty training you received?

After I came back, I was expecting a much better performance. But the knee injury dashed my hopes. The problem with the Indian athletic scene is that, if an athlete is down with an injury, nobody wants him or her. The injured athletes are looked down as untouchables. My husband alone was searching for a good doctor when I got injured.

I finally went in for treatment in Bombay. I started again after the recovery, but was placed under heavy medical restrictions. I found that I could not tolerate that coach again. So a new coach -- J S Bhatia -- came to train me. He gave me slow training and I improved. But soon everyone wanted me to undergo training under a Russian coach. I said I was comfortable under Bhatia and therefore why should I go before a Russian coach?

You were disappointed with these compulsions?

Obviously. I was thoroughly disappointed. I actually wanted to get trained under Bhatia only. But I was forced to work out under the Russian coach. That did not suit me at all. It was a nice training, but was not suitable for me. I was again injured. But there was no patience from the sports authorities. Everyone wanted quick results even when I was injured.

But you did not say why you decided to quit athletics?

I am coming to that answer only. My injury and compulsive training were not suitable to me at all. I was seriously planning to participate in the coming Asian championship and the Sydney Olympics. But after the injury that prolonged for four, five years, I knew that I did not have any choice but to retire. So I discussed it with my husband, family members and other athletic friends and finally decided that it is time for me to quit. But you have said you will continue participating at the national level?

Yes, I have announced my retirement only from the international level. If I want to continue at the national level, I can do so now. But I have not decided what I should do now at the national level.

So you have no idea of what you are going to do now at the national level?

I am a human being. My moods change. I am yet to decide.

You wrote to the Amateur Athletics Federation of India that all athletes breaking national records should be tested for drugs. Do you think the menace of drugs is affecting Indian athletes also?

The drugs problem is one of the many points I raised in my letter. Of late, it is a sad fact that the drug menace is a serious problem in the Indian athletics. Some 20 years back when I entered the world of athletics, the use of drugs was hardly known.

But nowadays, I have seen a large number of needles and syringes in bathrooms in stadia across the country. Therefore, I am retiring as a sad athlete. It is not the drug problem alone. Many problems are affecting the Indian athletics scene. We need to cleanse it up.

After retirement, what do you plan to do to promote athletics in the country?

I achieved everything in life except the Olympic medal. So I am happy and content. I am now at peace, living happily with my husband and son. But at the same time I cannot sit idle. I want to promote sports in the country. I am now planning a major project -- the Usha School of Athletics. It is my dream project.

My only dream now is that the school should get an Olympic medal in 2004.

Where is the school going to be?

It will be set up in Koyilandy, near my home and near Kozhikode. For the school to become operational, I need many sponsors. I have prepared the project and sent it to the Union and state governments. I was planning to acquire some land and start the project with the help of sponsors. Then the government of Kerala announced that it will provide 30 acres of land for the project. It also announced a Rs 15 lakh financial grant for the project.

But after the announcement, nothing has happened. I am still waiting for the land to come by.

What will be the school's main activities?

After many years of experience in athletics, I am convinced that what we lack in India is not talent, but the basic, modern and scientific facilities. If we train our young Indian sports talents, nothing -- even many Olympic medals -- is unachievable. Everyone thinks that bagging an Olympic medal is a difficult task. It is not.

You know, in my family, sports was an unheard subject. No one from my family was in the sports field. I came up in the athletic field because I strove hard. I feel that if I can participate in the Olympics, there are many good athletes in the country who too can come out with flying colours.

Looking back to your early days, did you ever have an idea that you would become a sports icon and a success?

No, not all. Though I was very active in athletics during my school days, the Olympics was never in my mind and dreams. In school I always came first in athletic competitions. But when I began winning every race, I wanted to break my own record. I was competing with my records always.

What inspired you to plunge into athletics?

I was first inspired by Balakrishnan Nair, our physical education teacher. He made me run with the champion of the school -- one Baby Sarala. I was then in the 4th standard, and Sarala in the 7th standard. When I passed out of school, luckily the Kerala government had started a sports school where I got admission. I met my guru Nambiar sir there. I owe all these medals and trophies on this wall to him.

What is the best memory of your sports career?

My best memory was winning the first Asian medal. Then in 1984 in Los Angeles, I came very close to winning the Olympic medal.

But your greatest achievement at Los Angeles was also the saddest experience.

Yes, the 1984 Olympics was the most memorable and the saddest moments in my entire athletic career. I would have certainly made it in the Los Angeles Olympics if I had a little more exposure in the 400m hurdles. Considering my limited exposure in the event, I did well. You know I participated only in two races before I went to Los Angeles. It was lack of experience in the 400m hurdles that cost me the gold medal.

What hopes do you have for India's athletic future?

It is a very complex question. I cannot exactly say how the Indian athletic scene will shape up. But to be frank, I think it has improved a lot, say, from the days I began my career and today. But a lot needs to be done. I think we have a brilliant future in sports, if we promote it in the right way. I am not saying that politicians should meddle in it. But what we need is a scientific approach to sports.

If India goes for a real, systematic and scientific approach, I am sure the country has a great athletic future. Then we can go to the Olympics without fear.

Do you think there is too much politics in sports in India today?

There are many incidents where I have seen and experienced cheap politics. When sports gets involved with petty politics from authorities and co-athletes, it becomes a nasty game. That happens in all the fields. But if an able athlete is forced to play politics to qualify for competition, then it is very sad. There have been many depressing incidents during my career which I do not want to disclose. I will talk about them in my autobiography.

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