6 days ago
From tribal village to Asian gold: Sprinter Rajitha races toward Olympic dream
VIJAYAWADA: Kunja Rajitha (19), a young sprinter from the remote tribal village of Ramachandrapuram in Koonavaram mandal, Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district, has made headlines by winning gold in the women's 4×400m relay at the 26th Asian Athletics Championships held in Gumi, South Korea.
Her rise from poverty to the continental stage is a testament to perseverance and the transformative power of opportunity. Born into a family of migrant workers who relocated from Chhattisgarh to Andhra Pradesh four decades ago, Rajitha is the youngest of six siblings. She lost her father, Mariah, when she was just 3-year-old, and was raised by her mother, Bhadramma, under financial constraints.
Her athletic talent came to light at Arrupe High School in Katukapalli, run by the Loyola Integrated Tribal Development Society (LITDS) in Chintoor mandal. It was here that Fr Yesu Ratnam noticed her potential when she was in Class VII. 'She has speed and focus. I saw a spark in her,' he recalled. Encouraged by him, Rajitha began competing in school-level events, winning her first 100m race in 2016.
After school, she pursued Intermediate at CK Junior College, Mangalagiri, and later joined SAAP (Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh) in Nellore in 2018. Trained by coaches Vamsi Kiran and Krishna Mohan, she continued to excel despite challenges such as financial hardship and delay in obtaining caste certificate.
