Talented sprinter Florence Barla, 18, a cadet of Jharkhand State Sports Promotion Society (JSSPS), Ranchi, is all set to blaze the tracks in Kazakhstan.

Florence will be competing in the 400m individual and 1600m mix relay in the junior girls section at the International Invitational Athletics Championship, which begins in Kazakhstan from Wednesday

Originally from a Gumla farming family, Florence, who lost her father young, is making her offshore debut with this event. She left for the Central Asian country from Delhi on Monday evening.

Her mentor, Captain Sanjay Ghosh, who saw off Florence in New Delhi, said he was excited but confident about his ward. “I am optimistic about her medal prospects. Florence is in good form and I am hoping for a solid show from her in Kazakhstan,” he said.

He has reasons for his confidence. Florence, who claimed 400m gold (Under-20) at the 2nd National Open Athletics Championship in Lucknow last month, clocked 56.27 seconds. She had also won gold in the Ranchi junior nationals in 400m and 200m last year, with a timing of 56.10 seconds and 25.10 seconds. She was consistent in the national level camp in Patiala from November 2018 to March this year, where she trained with the likes of Hima Das who won the silver at the Asian Games in Jakarta last year.

Florence returned to Ranchi owing to an ankle injury but bounced back, her coach said.

“She has been slogging hard with an eye for international competitions. I have put Florence on the grind for over two months now with a focus on her timing. Every fraction of a second counts now. Florence is young but possesses tremendous talent. I was very confident that Florence would make her international debut soon, and that wait has ended. Now, I am hoping she brings home an international medal,” coach Ghosh added.

Florence generally competes in the 400m individual event, but will take part in the 1,600m mix relay for the first time. “I am more focused on the 400m event,” her coach added.

The girl used to train at a government-run cradle at Mandar in Ranchi district before her induction in JSSPS in 2018 through a talent hunt and subsequent selection trials. Her sister Asha Kiran is also an athlete and a cadet of JSSPS.

Her widowed mother Rojila works on the farm. “Both Florence and Asha Kiran miss their father William Barla and want to make their mother proud,” her coach added.