They were there at the 2018 Commonwealth Games selection trials in Delhi on the same day. And, now with Aruna Reddy winning a historic bronze in the recent World Cup gymnastics last week, her fellow trainee, G. Meghana Reddy, is also determined to script an equally memorable performance in the next edition of CWG in Gold Coast.
For, Meghana happens to be the only Indian gymnast to have qualified for rhythmic gymnastics in the CWG, after a specially conducted trials where she apparently impressed the concerned with her talent.
Interestingly, both Aruna and Meghana are products of the low-profile gymnastics coach from Hyderabad, Brij Kishore, at the Lal Bahadur Stadium and it was he who suggested the latter to opt for rhythmic gymnastics because of the flexibility of her body and the flowing movements on the floor.
Being a Kuchipudi dancer under the tutelage of renowned Shoba Naidu, grace and perfection levels came quite naturally to her, the coach felt.
Significantly, the 19-year-old Meghana is currently training under the Rio Olympian Varvara Filiou after the latter insisted that unless she had a look at the former’s skills, she would not accept the task of grooming her. Once she saw Meghana in Athens, she had no hesitation in being her mentor.
Meghana, former National Games gold medallist and a student of Chirec International School (Kondapur), is all excited as the CWG is fast approaching this April but before that she will be competing in her maiden World Cup in Sofia which she feels should give her “a critical perspective of making some minor adjustments if any to realise the immediate target of winning a medal.”
“Well, the first objective is to make it to the finals and then think of a medal,” she says even while taking pride to remind the “fantastic feat of Aruna Akka”.
Meghana has been making quite forays after the 2015 National Games gold. Later, she was the all-round champion in the Senior Nationals which was subsequently scrapped because of problems in Gymnastics Federation of India.
But, to her delight, based on that show, Meghana was sent to the Asian Championship where she finished 37th and in the process notched up the best-ever score for an Indian besides winning the “people’s choice” award for being the most impressive young talent.
Thanks to the efforts of Telangana Government Advisor Papa Rao, Meghana got a financial assistance of Rs. 5 lakhs to pursue her training abroad and is now in the US before flying back to Athens for last few weeks of crucial training ahead of the CWG.
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