What: Your chance to be trainde by legendary Indian athlete P T Usha.

On the lookout for young sporting talent, P T Usha she has selected Pune as one of her first talent-scouting spots.

She has shortlisted 35 girls from a crowd of 350, aged between 10 and 16 years.

Usha, who runs the sports academy, Usha School of Athletics, near Koyilandy in Kozhikode, Kerala [Images], plans to train aspiring athletes to groom them to international standards.

She also plans to move to places like Nagpur, Nasik and Kolhapur in Maharashtra to search for talent.

"This is good. At least they have come forward to do something. This is more of [an] awareness [drive]. If it continues, it will help them. Today, over than 300 participated, but 25 to 30 will be selected," she said.

Usha said the academy would provide scholarships for three years and lodging facilities to selected athletes.

"In my household, everybody wants me to become an athlete. I have their full support. I want to break P T Usha's record," said Kalan, an aspiring athlete.

"My family wants me to do this and get inspired by P T Usha. I want to train under her," said Sneha Pradeep Nande, another aspiring athlete.

Usha, one of the greatest of Indian women athletes of her time, has carved a niche for herself in the field of athletics.

She was the first Indian woman and the fifth Indian to reach the final of an Olympic event, by winning the 400 metre hurdles semifinal.

She missed the bronze by 1/100th of a second at the Los Angeles Olympics [Images] in 1984, and created a new Asian Games record in all the events she participated the same year.