Saraswati Saha at the victory podium in Busan Asiad

Agartala, Aug. 12: Inside a thatched hut deep in the interiors of Tripura hope burns brighter than the Olympic flame.

The family that lives there can’t wait for the day when the portable black and white television that occupies pride of place in their home will spring to life with images of one of them competing with the world’s best at the Athens Olympics.

That is the house where sprinter Saraswati Saha (Dey) grew up. That is the house where her parents, Shakti Ranjan and Minu Rani, scolded her for showing more interest in sport than studies. That is the house where she dreamt big.

From remote Agartala to Athens, Saraswati has reached where few sportspersons from the Northeast have. A gold medallist in the women’s 200-metre sprint at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, she was a late entrant into the Indian Olympic contingent.

Bharat Chandra Nagar, Saraswati’s native village in Belonia subdivision of South Tripura district, erupted in jubilation on coming to know of her inclusion in the contingent. She qualified by winning the 200 metres in 23.07 seconds at the Fourth National Circuit athletics meet in Bangalore.

Mother Minu Rani is apologetic on being reminded that she and her husband nearly scuttled Saraswati’s sprint successes. “We caned her because she showed no interest in studies, but we have realised that she is no ordinary girl. She is an asset for the country.”

The fourth among seven siblings — six girls and a boy — Saraswati’s career was launched when the Sports Authority of India took her under its wings after a national talent search contest in 1989. The fifth of the Dey sisters, Prajapati, followed the same path but has yet to reach the distance her elder sibling has.

Shakti Ranjan, a farmer, still struggles to sustain his large family, but prides himself on the fact that one of his daughters has reached the hallowed Olympics stage. Nobody is hedging any bets on Saraswati winning a medal at Athens, but at least Tripura will rejoice if she makes it to the final of the 200 metres sprint.

Though she settled in Bandel, near Calcutta, after her marriage, Saraswati remains a role model for athletes from Tripura. “How she succeeded is an inspiring story. This backward state needs more champions like her,” says sports and youth affairs minister Jitendra Chowdhury.

If she breaks another barrier in Athens, none will be happier than the people in front of that portable black and white television inside the thatched hut deep in the interiors of Tripura.