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Payyoli Express running out of steam?

At the peak of her career, way back in 1985, she won five golds and a bronze at the Asian Track and Field event in Jakarta. That record is yet to be broken.

Again, in 1989, she won four golds at the ATF in New Delhi, and was adjudged Best Female Athlete in Asia.

Today, Usha is winless at the end of the National Games. And not sure about her continuance. She had been in the eye of controversy in the past, when she announced her retirement but later withdrew it.

"I do not know why people continuously harp on when I am going to retire. I have my priorities set,'' she said. And added that she was not worried about her dismal performance in the just completed National Games.

Beaten by Pandeswari in the 200m and Rachita Mistry (nee Panda) in 100 m, Usha said, "What was the timing they achieved? Neither of them came even close to my Pune timings!"

''I can still perform at my best,'' Usha, who is now on a deputation from Railways to Kerala, said. Usha, who was the flagbearer of the state contingent here, said she had come only to help the state.

And what of the future> Usha has not yet made up her mind. "The will is there to go below 23 secs in 200 m. I will decide in about a month's time'', she said. "I think two months of proper training should do a lot good for me."

Relaxing after an early morning jog at the Karnataka State Cricket Association grounds, Usha had packed ice on her right leg when we met her. Apparently the run was making her leg hurt.

She said she had practised at the sports college in Lucknow before she went to Pune earlier this year, and showed good results.

Usha lamented that dedication and hardwork, which had contributed to her success a great deal, was lacking among the present crop of athletes. "There has not been any significant improvement in their timings, though they have been performing for some years now," she said, refusing however to name any one athlete.

Usha says the 1980s had been the golden period of Indian athletics, especially among the women. The Nineties, she said, was pretty disappointing so far.

''We performed much better when there was no faciltiies. Now we have more than 17 synthetic tracks, and there are other modern infrastructure facilities that can help lift the athlete's performance. Unfortunately, none of this is translating into results," she lamented.

Usha has, she says, a burning burning desire to start an academy to build a new generation of sprinters. Back home in Kozhikode, she has identified a five acre land and negotiations were on, she said. "It might take some time for it to be established. I am not planning for anything big, just a place where I can help train some new talent. Right now I am on the lookout for sponsors," the former track queen said.