Kolkata, Sep 16 (IANS) Two-time Asian Games medallist Tintu Luka has no worthy competitors within the country to motivate herself and needs to participate in around 8-10 tournaments abroad before the 2016 Rio Olympics to improve her performance, her coach legend P.T. Usha said here on Wednesday.
Tintu is currently participating in the 55th National Open Athletic Championship here.
“There are no true competitors for Tintu in India. She needs to train abroad and participate in around 8-10 tournaments ahead of Rio,” she said.
Tintu set a national record in the women’s 800-metre race in the 2015 National Games in Kerala earlier this year, clocking 2:01.86 seconds to win gold.
She produced her season best effort of 2:00.95s at the World Athletics Championships in Beijing, China, recently, which was enough to secure a Rio berth.
But that didn’t help her qualify for the 800m main event at Beijing as she finished a disappointing seventh in the first round heats to crash out.
Usha also said she believes her protege is just “two-three years” away from reaching her peak. Tintu is 26 years old.
Tintu has two Asian Games medals in the 800m category, winning silver and bronze in 2014 and 2010 Games.
She also won the gold medal in the 4x400m relay category in the 2014 Games.