Umfanekiso: Twitter Wazalwa ngo-1960 kwaye evela e-Ottathai, kwisithili sase-Kerala sika-Kannur, uManathoor Devasai Valsamma, owaziwa ngokuba ngu-MD Valsamma, yimbaleki yaseNdiya enebhongo namhlanje. Ungumfazi wokuqala waseIndiya ukufumana imbasa yegolide kumsitho wamazwe ngamazwe kumhlaba waseIndiya kunye nembaleki yaseIndiya yesibini emva kukaKamaljeet Sandhu ukuba aphumelele eyedwa igolide kwiMidlalo yaseAsia. Ixesha lakhe elirekhodiweyo lemizuzwana engama-58.47 kumnyhadala weemitha ezingama-400 kumabala eBala laseJawaharlal Nehru, eDelhi lamkhokelela ekubeni aphumelele imbasa yegolide kwiMidlalo yaseAsia yowe-1982. I-hurdler yaba yintshatsheli yelizwe ngeli rekhodi litsha lalingcono kunerekhodi laseAsia!
UValsamma wayekwimidlalo ukusukela ngeentsuku zasesikolweni kodwa wazimisela ngayo kwaye waqala ukuyilandela njengomsebenzi kuphela emva kokuba eye kufunda kwiKholeji yeMercy, ePalakkad, eKerala. Uphumelele imbasa yakhe yokuqala kurhulumente kumnyhadala weemitha ezili-100 zemiqobo kunye nepentathlon, umnyhadala weembaleki oquka indibaniselwano ezintlanu ezahlukeneyo-i-100 yeemitha zokutsiba, umtsi omde, udubule, umtsi omkhulu kunye nokubaleka kweemitha ezingama-800. Indondo yakhe yokuqala yobomi bakhe yadlula kwi-Inter-University Championship, ePune ngo-1979. Kungekudala emva koko, wabhaliswa kwi-Southern Railways yaseIndiya kwaye waqeqeshwa phantsi kuka-A. K. Kutty, umqeqeshi wezemidlalo obalaseleyo owawongwa ngembasa yeDronarcharya ehloniphekileyo kwi-2010.
Ngeentsuku zokuqala zomsebenzi wakhe wezemidlalo, uValsamma waphumelela iimbasa zegolide ezintlanu ngokuqhuba kakuhle kwakhe kwi-100 leemitha, i-400 yeemitha zokutsibela, i-400 yeemitha ezicaba kunye nama-400 eemitha, kunye ne-100 leemitha ezikhutshelwa e-Inter-State Meet, e-Bangalore ngo-1981. Le mpumelelo intle kangaka. wamkhokelela kumaqela esizwe nakwiRailways. Ngo-1984, okwesihlandlo sokuqala, iqela labafazi abane baseIndiya bangena kumdlalo wokugqibela kwiOlimpiki yaseLos Angeles, kwaye uValsam wayengomnye wabo, kunye noP. Usha kunye noShiny Wilson. Kodwa uValsam wayengekho kwimeko entle yengqondo phambi kweOlimpiki, ngenxa yokunqongophala kwamava eembaleki zamazwe ngamazwe. Ukongeza, umqeqeshi wakhe u-Kutty wacocwa kade, nto leyo ekhokelele ekubeni angabinalo ixesha lokuziqhelanisa kwaye ibe nefuthe kumalungiselelo akhe engqondo. Kwakukho umdlalo omninzi wokukhuphisana ngaphambi kweOlimpiki phakathi kwakhe no-PT. U-Usha, owathi waqina kumzila, kodwa ubuhlobo babo bangaphandle babancede ekugcineni imvisiswano nentlonipho nangaloo maxesha anzima. Kwaye uValsamma wavuya kakhulu ukubona u-Usha ephumelela imitsi yama-400 yeemitha, ngelixa ephumile kumjikelo wokuqala ngokwakhe kwi-Olimpiki. Ngokucacileyo, iqela lifumene indawo yesixhenxe kumthi we-4X400 yeemitha kumsitho.
Kamva, uValsamma waqala ukugxila kwimiqobo ye-100 yeemitha kwaye waqhubeka nokudala enye irekhodi yesizwe kwiMidlalo yeSizwe yokuqala ngo-1985. Kumsebenzi wezemidlalo owawuthatha phantse iminyaka eyi-15, waphumelela igolide, isilivere, iimbasa zobhedu kwi-Spartakyad 1983, i-South Asian. I-Federation (SAF) kwimidlalo emithathu eyahlukeneyo yeembaleki. Uthathe inxaxheba kwindibano yeNdebe yeHlabathi eHavana, eTokyo, eLondon, kwiintlelo zeMidlalo yaseAsia ye-1982, 1986, 1990 kunye ne-1994 kuwo onke amabala kunye namabala aseAsia. Ushiye amanqaku akhe kukhuphiswano ngalunye ngokuphumelela iimbasa ezininzi.
Urhulumente waseIndiya wanika uValsamma imbasa yeArjuna ngo-1982 kunye nembasa yePadma Shri ngo-1983 ngegalelo lakhe elikhulu kunye nokugqwesa kwibala lezemidlalo. Uye wafumana ibhaso lemali ye-G. V. Raja kuRhulumente waseKerala. Yayiluhambo lukaValsamma kwimbaleki, ibali elikhuthazayo kude kube namhlanje kuba ngokuqinisekileyo uye wenza i-India yazidla!
Funda ngokugqithisileyo: Dibana noPadma Shri Geeta Zutshi, Owayesakuba yintshatsheli kwingoma kunye nembaleki yasebaleni
