30/09/1997
A. GEEVARAJ has broken the four-minute barrier in the 1,500m but he might
not be able to represent Malaysia in future because he does not hold a
Malaysian Identity Card.
The 18-year-old has been studying in the United States since Standard
One and returned to Malaysia last year to apply for an IC.
He made his mark as the best middle-distance junior athlete in the
country when he clocked 3:59.2 at the Perak Open last year.
At the recently-concluded MAAU-Milo-NSC National Junior Grand Prix,
Geeveraj clocked 4:11.10 to win the gold medal in the final leg at the
Merdeka Stadium last Saturday.
Maybank coach R. Jeganathan, who has been coaching him for a year now,
is excited about Geevaraj's future.
"The coach said that it is hard to come by a dedicated athlete like
Geevaraj, and it would be a shame if we don't recognise and pay special
attention to his training needs," said Bukit Jalil Sports School warden
Kadirisman Abdullah.
Geevaraj has taken part in schools meets in California and has won
numerous races in both the 800m and 1,500m and is now training with
national 1,500m record holder A. Munusamy.
"He is an exceptional athlete. When the coach is busy, Geevaraj trains
on his own. For him it is routine - come rain-or-shine he is busy
training," said Kadirisman.
When asked about his target as an athlete, Geevaraj said: "I want to win
an Olympics medal for Malaysia."
(END)
