Alappuzha rafter creates waves in qualifying, but no Olympics entrance

She was denied entry for the Olympics in Paris. Megha Pradeep, an athlete from Alappuzha, put an end to India’s 11-year drought for a medal at the Asian Championship, however, when she won bronze in the C1 women’s 500-meter event at the Tokyo Canoe Sprint Olympic Qualifiers 2024.

 

Although the 19-year-old from Kainakary’s Olympic odyssey has come to an end with this success, her perseverance has inspired other paddlers to believe that winning a medal on the grand stage is not unachievable.

“I view it as a milestone more so than the medal from the Asian Championship.” I really think that all of the effort I have put in since lower elementary school has paid off. Megha adds, “My coach and family deserve the credit for all of my accomplishments. It was an amazing experience to be a part of an elite competition like the Olympic Qualifiers.

“This year’s training camps started later than in previous years.” Overall performances showed this delay, according to Megha.

“I shall be serving with the services team after enlisting in the Indian Army as a havildar. I still want to win an Olympic gold medal, however,” the former Sports Authority of India rafter states.

Her coach, V V Sunil, a former national-level athlete, is ecstatic with his disciple’s success. “One of the greatest accomplishments for a paddler is to win a medal at the Asian Championship in the senior category. Her performance, in my opinion as a coach, merits an Olympic debut,” he beams.

He does note, however, that canoeing in the 500-meter division is no longer an Olympic sport. Olympic standard events consist of just the 200- and 1,000-meter races. Megha can work miracles when she focuses on any of them.

At the Manipur National Games in 1997, Sunil won six medals. “High technique is needed for canoeing, as an athlete must control the vessel on one side.” He clarifies, “Athletes who are rafting from the right side should thus kneel on their right knee.

A typical flat water canoe is 5.25 meters in length, 8 inches in width, and has a weight of 12 kilograms. The winner is determined by maintaining proper board control while rafting and traveling the distance.

M C Prasad, the president of the Kainakary Grama Panchayat, praised Megha on her accomplishment and said, “For us, this is Kainakary’s achievement too.” We supported her involvement in activities and the day-to-day operations of the institution. He finishes by saying that “her recent achievement could not be celebrated due to the Model Code of Conduct enforced given the elections.”