5 months ago
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When carrom champion Keerthana of Washermanpet woke up this morning, she ne'er imagined that she would beryllium holding a ₹1-crore cheque. Still riding the precocious of her triumph astatine the 7th Carrom World Cup successful the Maldives, which concluded connected December 6, wherever she won golden successful singles, doubles, and squad events, she received the cheque from Chief Minister M.K. Stalin connected Monday.
“I knew I’d triumph something, but ne'er successful my wildest dreams did I deliberation I’d triumph golden successful each 3 categories,” Ms. Keerthana said. The 21-year-old has flooded important fiscal struggles, peculiarly aft the decease of her father. But with the enactment of her mentor, M. Nithyarajan, she continued to prosecute her passionateness for carrom.
In summation to competing, she besides coaches children of daily-wage workers astatine the academy tally by Mr. Nithyarajan. Her eventual imagination is to assistance others emergence done the sport, conscionable arsenic she has. With the prize money, she present hopes to physique a location for her family.
Ms. Keerthana’s triumph successful the 52nd Senior National Carrom Championship successful New Delhi successful March 2025, wherever she won some the women’s singles and squad events, was a historical accomplishment — marking Tamil Nadu’s archetypal singles triumph successful 15 years. Her World Cup triumph has lone fuelled her determination further. “The aforesaid idiosyncratic can’t support winning each the time. I privation my students to triumph too. They each travel from humble backgrounds similar maine and winning would alteration their lives,” she said.
Mr. Nithyarajan said the designation from the State authorities was a immense encouragement not conscionable for Ms. Keerthana but besides for different young players arsenic well. He credited carrom veterans Maria Irudayam and R. Amuthavanan, on with the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, for their enactment successful her travel to victory.
