Chennai floods hero wins javelin gold at State meet
“In most places, I rowed the boat as I imagined it to be my physical training for the competition even as I, along with the team were rescuing the public,” Selvarajan said.
N Selvarajan
CHENNAI: Two weeks ago, he was going around in boats rescuing lives during the Chennai floods. On Sunday, the 54-year-old Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services (TNFRS) officer won a gold medal in the javelin throw at the Tamil Nadu State Masters Athletics Championships held at Tiruvannamalai in the 50+ age category.
The officer, N Selvarajan, who was a university-level athlete in his younger days, stopped participating in competitions after he joined the fire department in 1994. After two decades of not holding a Javelin, Selvarajan took up the sport again in 2015 to motivate his son to be physically active and to prepare for Civil Services exams.
“Preparations for Civil Services can go on for a long time. I wanted to drive home the point to my son that age is no barrier to achieving things one should not give up and that proper planning can help a person achieve his dreams,” Selvarajan told DT Next.
Selvarajan, a native of Sivagangai district had studied from the sports hostel in Madurai from Class 8, and later as a college student in Madurai, he had won medals in inter-university meets.
“I joined TNFRS as a fireman in 1994. After joining the service, I gave up on the sport, but was keeping myself fit with regular exercises,” he said.
In trying to inspire his son, Selvarajan found his mojo and gave a go at the Masters’ athletics championships where athletes above the age of 35 years compete. Such competitions are usually held among athletes in a five-year age bracket – 35-40, 41-45, and so on.
“My wife initially had her inhibitions as I was spending time at practice after duty hours and the time spent at home was becoming lesser. Eventually, she saw that I was passionate and started helping me out,” Selvarajan said.
In the first national masters’ athletics competition he participated at Bengaluru, Selvarajan only managed to secure the 7th spot. But, in the subsequent years, he managed to secure 3rd place and 2nd place in Guntur and in Manipur.
Sports gave me confidence to face life situations: Selvarajan
The COVID-19 pandemic induced a break in the competition. This year, after reigning success in district-level meets, Selvarajan had his sights on the State sports meet in Tiruvannamalai held recently and the national athletics meet to be held in Pune two months later.
Cyclone Michaung ravaged the city two weeks before the competition and Selvarajan who was serving as Station Fire Officer (SFO), Guindy, could not practice before the meet as the whole department was working round the clock in rescue operations.
“In most places, I rowed the boat as I imagined it to be my physical training for the competition even as I, along with the team were rescuing the public,” Selvarajan said.
On becoming an athlete again and winning medals after 50 years of age, Selvarajan said that taking up sports again has given him the confidence to face life situations and he hopes his achievements on track inspire his son, an economics graduate, who is preparing for civil service examinations.
