BHUBANESWAR: With an aim to create awareness about athletes and athletics ahead of the 22nd Asian Athletics Championship to begin from July 6 in the city, Bakul Library organised an interactive session with Olympian Anuradha Biswal at Patha Utsav here on Sunday. The foundation also conducted a sports quiz for youngsters to create interest on sports and especially athletics among them."I am really happy to see increasing enthusiasm and interest among youngsters about sports. It's a great opportunity for people of the city to host and witness the best athletes of Asia performing here," said Anuradha Biswal, the first Olympian from Odisha who represented India in 100 metres hurdles in Sydney Olympics in 2000.Biswal had a long interaction at the Bakul Library's platform at Patha Utsav where people assembled in large numbers braving the rains. She spoke about her journey, how as a child she was constantly running around and how her parents gave unconditional support from her parents, who were athletes themselves."While growing up in the early 80s ace sprinter PT Usha had been an inspirational figure for me and I got motivated to run like her," she said.People asked her many questions such as why women athletes were doing better than men in Odisha with examples of her, Shrabani Nanda and Dutee Chand. "If women are given some space, encouragement and facilities they can excel in all fields including sports. Women had a greater hunger for success than men," she added. Biswal, who is a national record holder in 100 metres hurdles, regretted that she is not able to participate in the upcoming 22nd Asian Athletics Championship here.People participated in the sports quiz with much enthusiasm in a sportive atmosphere at Patha Utsav with standees of mascot Olly all-around. "I didn't know that tennis star Leander Paes' both parents are Olympians. And in the race where Otis Davis was first by hundredth of a second, Carl Kauffman was second and Malcolm Spence was third and the fourth runner was Milkha Singh in the 400 metres race at the Rome Olympics. Paan Singh Tomar was a seven times national steeplechase champion and represented India in the 1958 Asian Games. He had earlier served in the Indian Army and later became notorious as a Chambal Valley dacoit," said Ashis Palei, a class XI student.Bakul Library also organised a special showcasing of books from 30 different countries of Asia, which is a rich collection of the library in Satyanagar. "Since most people have very little idea about most of the 45 countries participating in the Asian Athletics Championships, this was an attempt for people to have multi-cultural exposure and know about the participating countries," said Sujit Mahaptra, founder of the library. There were books from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, from Korea, China and Japan, from Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar and also from Iran, Iraq, Israel. There were also rare books such as Bhutanese storybooks autographed by the King of Bhutan, books from countries such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia.

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