‘She can go sub-54’: After breaking PT Usha’s record, Vithya’s coach sets new target

Vithya Ramraj with her coach Nehpal Singh

Nehpal Singh is basking in the glory as the coach of Vithya Ramraj who bettered PT Usha's 42-year-old record, three years after equalling that elusive record in the women's 400m hurdles at the last Asian Games in Hangzhou.Asked about the five-year plan, which took Indian athletics to a new high with his ward dipping under the 55-second and lowering the new mark to 54.75 seconds, the coach from Rajasthan, whose family is settled in Salem for the last 20 years, said: "Vithya would have set the record last year itself but for the injury at the Asian championships. She sustained a serious ankle injury but ran with the swollen ankles at the Asian meet and still won the bronze.This year I was waiting eagerly for everything to go right and today she did it.

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"I knew she would peak in this competition. I was almost sure that she would do sub 54.5, but it was 54.7. But it is okay because, without progression, you cannot perform at that big level. At the Delhi meet on Sep 10, she fell down from a hurdle; otherwise, we were expecting around 55.0s there and then the progression from there (to the National record)," the former national-level sprinter turned coach Nehpal told TOI from Nagoya.

Asian Games Full Coverage | Medal Tally | ScheduleAsked about the sacrifices made by the 28-year-old from Coimbatore, he said: "She is very dedicated. Both of us have not gone home all year as we were training fully focussed on the big meet."Nehpal, who started coaching her in 2021 and holds a World Athletics coaching certification, lauded Vithya for her dedication. "Vithya is the most consistent athlete. She has been in the top 3 in India in the 400m for the last five years.

And for the last five years, she's been No. 1 in the 400m hurdles.""The day she asked me, 'I want to join you for training,'... I was like, yes, we can do. Okay. We can do this national record. Once the national record was equaled, I realized she could do much more. My plan was sub 55. And this year, we figured out that no, we can go sub 54," said Nehpal who also trains Vithya's twin sister Nithya. Nithya, who is recovering from an injury, had finished seventh in the 100m hurdles at the last Asiad.

Moving forward, the coach and Vithya have set their sights on the World Championships and the LA Games."The qualification mark for the World Championships and Olympics is 54.0s. Otherwise, she'll make the Games easily by her ranking," he added without going into the details of the next five-year plan.