Sushmita at the Salt Lake Stadium. A Telegraph picture

Calcutta: Making a comeback, after getting dropped from the Asian Games squad, and bagging the bronze in the Asian Championships wasn’t enough to satisfy the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) bosses. Heptathlete Sushmita Singha Roy was again made the scapegoat when the squad for the World Championships (currently underway in Osaka) was named.

Sushmita, though, is determined to make use of every opportunity. She is now focused on the 2008 Olympics and the Commonwealth Games. “I have forgotten the past and am looking forward to the Olympic qualifying mark of 5800,” Sushmita said on the sidelines of the 57th State Athletic championships at the Salt Lake Stadium on Thursday.

Sushmita’s coach Kuntal Roy is also hopeful that his ward will come back with a bang, provided there is some financial support. “She didn’t get any financial support… Soma, though, has got a bit,” Roy said.

Roy is planning to send Sushmita to at least three of the five Grand Prix meets to be held within a year. “I am planning to send her to Italy, France and Germany for the Grand Prix meets which will prepare her for the Olympics,” Roy said.