Thiruvananthapuram, Monday 10 January 2010: The Kerala government would provide an amount of Rs 200, 000 for P U Chitra of Palakkad Mundur School, who bagged three gold in the National School Athletic meet.

Minister for the Welfare of Scheduled and Backward Communities A.K. Balan said the amount will be used for constructing a house for her.

As a daughter of a daily labourer, life was a big challenge. Running is her passion and is a soothing balm for this ninth standard student of HS, Mundur. Her parents, especially her father Unnikrishnan, always encouraged Chitra supporting his daughter’s career with his meagre income.

A gold medallist in 3000m in the junior event in the school meet in Thiruvalla last year, Chitra clocked 9:58.20 to break Jijimol Jacob’s old mark (10:4.20) set in 2004. Trained by Sijin, who is physical Education teacher of HS, Mundar, for the last four years, Chitra sliced off nearly 20 seconds from her personal best which came in the South Zone junior meet in Bangalore last year.