Meet Professor Annie Varghese, The PT Teacher Who Trained Five Women Olympic Athletes
Women power reigned supreme at the Tokyo Games this year — and it is heartening to know that there’s one Physical Education teacher who has played a significant role behind the success of women athletes over the years. Professor Annie Varghese from Thrissur’s Vimala College has trained five of Kerala’s 19 women Olympians.
Some of the prominent names from this list include Anju Bobby George who represented India at the Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008, Rosa Kutty who was the first woman athlete from the college to be a part of the Olympics in 1996, Jincy Philip and Manjima Kuriakose who were part of the Indian women’s 4×400m relay team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and Bobby Aloysius who participated in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
That’s not all, Palakkad district’s Mercy College has produced four Olympians namely — PT Usha, MD Valsamma, Mercy Kuttan and K Saramma.
Varghese trained her students in physical education at Vimala College for 31 years. Her journey began in 1967 and continued until she retired from teaching in 1998. Reminiscing the old times, she shared with the media that she joined the college at a time when there was no proper ground.
“We had courts for tennis and basketball, but for athletes, there was no track,” she told the media. However, that didn’t deter students and the trainer from moving forward. “We used to go to the neighboring engineering college ground early in the morning for practice," she added.
Also read: How Kochi's Namakuzhy Village Is Empowering Women Through Sports
A journey to remember
Varghese also acknowledged the efforts of two other coaches, TP Ouseph and EJ George, who taught the athletes scientifically, and contributed in a huge way.
“The college was very supportive of sports. The management including nuns and other staff had also helped me in all ways. Vimala was more like home for us. All my achievements were possible only because of the best coaches and Professor Annie Varghese’s support," shared George with the media.
Philip, who was a part of the 4×400 m relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics, also shared memories from the time she trained at the institute. Calling Varghese “kind-hearted”, she remembered the time when she did not have any sports accessories, but Varghese gifted her a pair of spikes.
Media reports suggest that Varghese not only helped her students with basics but also boosted their morale and supported them financially.
(Edited by Amrita Ghosh and Sanhati Banerjee)
