Coimbatore: Life has not been the same for L Samyasri, after she returned from Trabzon, Turkey, with a silver medal for the 600m relay competition. Apart from various honours and awards, she also got an opportunity to meet the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa on Friday. When she received a cheque for Rs20lakh from the state government, she said it was one of the most memorable moments of her life.
"I was extremely nervous and was worried about the meeting. I kept rehearsing what I would say when I met the chief minister. I wasn't even sure that I would get a chance to speak with her," said L Samyasri. She said she went to Chennai a day in advance to prepare for the meeting.
When they did meet, the chief minister asked her if the state could do something to help athletes like her. She encouraged her to win more medals at the international level and make the country proud. "I told Amma that I would definitely meet her again in 2020 after winning a medal at the Olympics. She smiled and told me that I should practise hard and be proud to represent the country. Meeting her was an unbelievable experience for me," said Samyasri. She said she never thought that the chief minister would speak to her.
Her father Loganathan said he was spellbound when he received the call. "We run a fish stall and earn exactly enough to run our family. But we could not afford special training for her. This money will definitely help us train Samyasri for the Olympics," he said.
Along with Samyasri, three other athletes who won at Turkey were also given cash awards by the chief minister.
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