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The Hindu
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
After becoming India's fastest 800m runner ever, Afsal sets his sights even higher
Mohammed Afsal had a small smile on his lips as he topped the 800m heats at the recent National Federation Athletics Championships in Kochi. His time, 1:46.70s, was more than a second faster than the Athletics Federation of India's qualification standard (1:47.77) for this month-end's Asian Championships in Gumi, South Korea. Afsal, the Asian Games silver medallist, was looking to seal his place in the Indian team with another fine run in the final. He felt in fantastic shape. Strange world But middle-distance running is a strange world. And shocking things can happen, especially if it's a slow race. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, for instance, American Matthew Centrowitz won the 1500m in 3:50.00s, the slowest winning time in an Olympics in more than 80 years! Afsal experienced the peculiarities of middle-distance running in the final, finishing a surprising fourth. 'The final was a slow race. I couldn't judge or predict what was going to happen,' he said. 'There were some judgement errors from my side and when I went into an outer lane, they took the lead and I couldn't do anything.' From the previous day's high, suddenly he hit a low. Afsal, the country's fastest two-lapper this year, was not picked in the Indian team because he did not finish in the top two. The 29-year-old was shattered. Missing the Asian Championships means he has to work harder to get onto the Road to Tokyo 2025, the World Athletics rankings system that will help athletes who missed the automatic qualification standard (1:44.50s) make it to September's World Championships. A couple of weeks later, a wonderful opportunity presented itself: the UAE Grand Prix, a World Athletics Continental Tour event. 'After having trained so much, I was mentally down since I finished fourth. I felt I had to get good results this season. My coach Ajith Markose also kept pushing me,' said Afsal. 'In Dubai, I was determined to get the [National] record, I was confident of doing it.' And Afsal wiped away much of his disappointment as he broke Olympian Jinson Johnson's seven-year-old National record (1:45.65s), clocking 1:45.61 for silver. The race had some quality runners, including Kenya's former African Championships silver medallist Nicholas Kiplangat, who took gold, and South African Christopher Swart. 'It was a good race, the Kenyan — a 1:44 runner — took the race at a correct pace. There was a South African too who had a PB of 1:45 in altitude. I was confident that if I stuck with them I could clock a good time,' said Afsal, who hails from Palakkad. 'Ajith sir told me I could do it, he had faith in me, I ran with that faith.' Ajith, who has been working on Afsal's finish and on sustaining his pace in the second lap at the Reliance Foundation Endurance Programme in Bengaluru, feels the athlete could have done better. 'We had planned a 1:45 flat, that's his year's target too. Had his race been cleaner, he could have done that. But there were hiccups here and there,' said Ajith. 'His finish was bad, he did not stick to the plan in the last 30m. Had he executed that, he could have come first. 'I felt he appeared a bit satisfied when he came from the back and got into medal position. He could have changed a gear, kicked a little more in the last 30m, he had the capacity for that.' The National record has given Afsal new confidence. 'I want to keep bettering my time, that is my target. I need more competition experience outside the country,' he said. So how fast can he go this year? 'In the 800m, you cannot just go and get better at a stretch. You need a good race, good climate, good athletes, so you can't plan anything. I ran 1:45 because I got a good race,' said Afsal, who emerged from Parli School, one of Kerala's leading athletics nurseries, where he was coached by P.G. Manoj. 'If I get good races like this, I can get even better, probably break the 1:45 barrier.' The Sriram effect Sriram Singh, perhaps India's greatest middle-distance runner whose brave front-running pushed Cuban Alberto Juantorena to a world record in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, feels the sub-1:45 will not come in a hurry. 'They may not go below 1:45, they will probably do 1:45-dead this year. It depends on the competition. Probably, they will be running 1:44 by the time of the next Olympics,' Sriram, the only Indian to run in an Olympic 800m final, told The Hindu from Jaipur. Sriram, who featured in three Olympics, finished seventh in Montreal and his time, 1:45.77s (an Asian record until 1994), stood as the National record for 42 years before Johnson (1:45.65s) broke it in 2018. Johnson, however, is positive the National record will start tumbling faster. 'I feel Indian athletes, like Afsal and Krishan Kumar [Asian Championships silver medallist], have the calibre to run 1:44 this year. If they keep doing it consistently, we can even get to 1:43-something,' said the former Asian Games 1500m champion. 'And for that, we surely need more international exposure because in the 800 and 1500m everything depends on race strategy. When we go for major championships or Games, we always try to win a medal. If you are focusing on a medal, you cannot do a good time, so international exposure is important. 'Now, with corporates like Reliance and JSW coming in, athletes are getting good exposure.' Johnson knows Afsal well, having raced against him. 'Afsal's reaction is fast when I compare him with myself, his speed is good,' said Johnson. Different strategies India's best middle-distance runners often have one strategy for domestic meets and another for international competitions. 'In India, you have to do front-running to clock a fast time…no point clocking 1:48 and winning a medal. That's why good runners tend to be front-runners in India,' explained Afsal. 'But while leading, you can't properly judge what's happening behind your back.' When they compete abroad, Indians often play a patient waiting game, shadowing the leaders. 'But, to be honest, I still have no idea what suits me. I have won races where I have led and won after staying at the back initially too,' said Afsal. Securing automatic qualification (1:44.50s) for the Worlds could be tough, but the National record has helped Afsal climb up to No. 51 in the Road to Tokyo rankings. The Reliance athlete is now looking for quality competitions that will help him confirm his place in the final 56-man list before the qualification doors close on August 24. 'Training-wise, everything is going perfectly. We are now trying for Continental Tour events, probably in Germany or somewhere,' said Afsal, whose favourite athlete is Sebastian Coe. Coe's middle-distance duels with Steve Ovett lit up athletics, and Afsal hopes the tight 800m competition in India will lift the event's status in the country.
The Hindu
02-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Is India finally on the verge of glimpsing its first sub-10-second man?
Manikanta Hoblidhar played volleyball, kabaddi and handball to a high standard at school. But once he had a taste of athletics at 17, there was no looking back. The 23-year-old is currently one of the country's fastest men, hungry to regain his 100m National record which he had surrendered to Gurindervir Singh (10.20s) by two hundredths of a second (10.22) at the Indian Grand Prix in Bengaluru a few weeks ago. Manikanta clearly wants to stand out in the crowd. 'I'm the only one, the best, the strongest. My aim is to do 10.10s this year,' said Manikanta, who took the 100m bronze at the recent National Federation Athletics Championships in Kochi. He also had the championships' fastest time, having topped the semifinals with 10.25s. With six of the seven fastest men in the country's all-time 100m list currently in action, this is Indian sprinting's most exciting period. The big question That brings up the big question: Is India close to having its first sub-10s man? 'I expect that next year,' said Radhakrishnan Nair, the National Chief Coach. Martin Owens, head coach at the Reliance Foundation Odisha High Performance Centre, was more cautious. 'Sub-10 is big, it will happen. Next year might be a little bit early, but you never know, it might even this year. But never make a prediction,' said the Englishman. 'I would be surprised if the 100m National record doesn't go again this year.' And the athletes appear ready. 'We will have our first sub-10 man this year or next year. It could come by the time of this year's Open Nationals. And I feel I will be doing the 9.99s in India,' said Manikanta. Animesh Kujur, who broke the 200m National record in Kochi, fancies his sub-10 chances, too. 'It'll be me only, I'm the best,' said Owens' trainee Kujur, the sixth fastest Indian ever (10.27). 'I'm working hard for that. Whenever it is to happen, it will happen.' James Hillier, the Reliance Foundation athletics director who coaches Gurindervir and Manikanta, is impressed with the current scene. 'What you're having now is a sort of cluster effect, with the boys pushing each other and I think the biggest thing is the mindset. The mindset is slowly changing,' he said. 'When I first came to India, 10.5s would win the Nationals. And when someone ran 10.4, everyone would go crazy. People are starting to run 10.2 and it's becoming more normal now, 10.3 is normal too, but 10.4 is not even considered that fast anymore.' Hillier believes things will move step by step. 'I think you'll see multiple athletes comfortably running sub-10.20. I expected Manikanta to run at least 10.15 in Kochi. He has been running times in training that signal to me that he can run faster than 10.1… 10.0-something. If the track was faster, if the warm-up area and conditions were better, he would have clocked 10.10. For me, 10.25 was disappointing. 'I would be mortified and disappointed if these guys, all three [Gurindervir, Manikanta, Kujur], don't run 10.1-something this year. And they will probably pull Pranav Gurav [Federation Nationals 100m champion with 10.27s] to those times as well. You could have four guys under 10.10. And don't discount Amlan [Borgohain] either… he's flying in training.' Stronger together Hillier feels the sprinters now need to move ahead together. 'For me, the second guy is the important one. The first guy breaks the time, that's great but then you need the second guy to run the time. As soon as Gurindervir broke Mani's record, Mani said to me, 'Coach, he's going to borrow that record for three weeks, I'm going to take it back in the Federation Nationals'. 'And Animesh wasn't in that Bengaluru race. So, when they broke that record, suddenly Animesh got excited… and he broke the 200m record [in Kochi]. 'They motivate each other. They all want to be the top dog…so the minute someone does that time, they are like, 'If you can do it, I can do it faster'.' Every sprinter in the group is unique. 'I don't know much about Pranav Gurav but he's got a good head on him, he's a good competitor. Gurindervir is a very powerful guy, he's got a very good start, I'm just working on some postural things, he doesn't hold his posture as well as I want, so once he fixes that, he's going to run a lot faster,' said Hillier. 'Animesh is not a very good starter but a very good finisher. He's a 200m specialist but obviously he can run a good 100. Amlan is very experienced but Manikanta is the one with the leg speed, it's phenomenal. He's the guy with the real speed.' Who is likely to hit sub-10 first? 'It's difficult to say that. I wouldn't want to do that because I coach most of them…I'd be happy if anyone did that, even if it is someone I don't coach. For me, it's about the event moving forward,' said Hillier. 'I want to see people who say that Indians can't sprint eat their words because I believe Indians can sprint.' While the sprinters have been raising the bar, there is much disappointment that the Athletics Federation of India did not include Manikanta in the 100m for this month-end's Asian Championships in South Korea despite the sprinter achieving the AFI's qualification standard (10.25s) twice, in Bengaluru and Kochi. 'Had he finished first or second, he would have been considered,' explained Radhakrishnan, who thinks Pranav Gurav could be the first Indian to go sub-10. Hillier feels the sprinters deserve more support. 'It's very frustrating, disappointing, I don't know why the federation isn't supporting these boys as much as we would like. We weren't aware that the policy was the first to pass the post gets in, that was never communicated. Mani is absolutely heartbroken,' he said. 'It is harsh. I respect the tough standards, it is good, but if you have tough standards, then you got to give us good conditions, good tracks and good competitions to race.' Unlocking the next level For India to go under 10s, ideal conditions must be offered. 'To go to the next level, they need to compete overseas… competitions where it's set up to run fast. A Mondo track, proper warm-up area and run at the right time of the day with good winds,' said Hillier. 'We need to find where the three fastest tracks in India are and put sprint meets on them. Chennai and Bengaluru have good tracks. Let's bring overseas athletes here if we want to do it in India. 'And let's not run into headwinds. If there's a headwind, let's do it on the back straight, that's how they do it in America. Let's create the environment for these guys to run under 10s.' With the sprinters moving at such a promising pace, clearly it's time to move mountains to help them.
The Hindu
26-04-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Tejaswin Shankar confident of breaking 8000-point barrier
With the wait to better his high jump national record getting longer and torturous, Tejaswin Shankar is now looking to the decathlon for comfort. He is now aiming to become the first Indian to break the 8000-point barrier in the multi-eventer and feels he could get there soon. 'I really feel that I can get to 8000 before (high jump's) 2.30m but I don't want to jinx myself because I've been waiting for nearly eight years for that 2.30. 'That's the whole reason I decided to do the combined events so I really want to get that first,' said Shankar, the Asian Games decathlon silver medallist, in a chat with The Hindu. 'The 2.29 (his high jump national record) is the worst number to ever be, I'd rather be on 2.28 than be at 2.29 and not be at 2.30.' The 26-year-old broke the decathlon National record (new record 7666 points) at the last Asian Games and his performances in the recent National Federation Athletics Championships in Kochi indicate that he is getting closer to 8000. 'For me, the biggest positives in Kochi were the javelin and the 1500m, the last two events,' said Shankar, also decathlon's Asian bronze medallist and the high jump bronze medallist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. 'My first throw was a personal best by 2m and I was also very happy about the 1500 because it's the most dreaded event. 'In Kochi, the biggest challenge for me was not about trying to run behind somebody and run a good time, rather I wanted to run the worst time and lead the race and that's what I was trying to do, especially after the first lap. And I surprised myself at the end.' That brought him a personal best too. Shankar would have hit another high in the pole vault too but there was a problem. 'My best is 4.10m but I jumped 4m. The reason I couldn't take the next height was just because I didn't have a bigger pole,' he said. After focusing on the high jump in an attempt to qualify for the Paris Olympics last year, Shankar is fully into the multi-eventer this season. 'This year and onwards, especially until LA 2028 Olympics, the goal would be to try and become the best combined events athlete I can be. That doesn't mean I'm not going to the high jump in between but that's not my primary goal. 'Even if I do 2.30m in those competitions, that doesn't mean my primary goal is to move to the high jump but to try and get as many points as I can.' Shankar is now looking for a competition in Europe to improve his decathlon record. 'The goal is to try and get a competition in Europe later this year where I can, without worrying about the results,' just score as big as I can because the conditions will be a little more friendly. Because weather definitely plays a role,' he said.
The Hindu
26-04-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Shankar eyes decathlon's 8000-point barrier as wait to better high jump national record gets longer
With the wait to better his high jump national record getting longer and torturous, Tejaswin Shankar is now looking to the decathlon for comfort. He is now aiming to become the first Indian to break the 8000-point barrier in the multi-eventer and feels he could get there soon. 'I really feel that I can get to 8000 before (high jump's) 2.30m but I don't want to jinx myself because I've been waiting for nearly eight years for that 2.30. That's the whole reason I decided to do the combined events, so I really want to get that first,' said Shankar, the Asian Games decathlon silver medallist, in a chat with Sportstar. 'The 2.29 (his high jump national record) is the worst number to ever be, I'd rather be on 2.28 than be at 2.29 and not be at 2.30.' The 26-year-old broke the decathlon National record (new record 7666 points) at the last Asian Games and his performances in the recent National Federation Athletics Championships in Kochi indicate that he is getting closer to 8000. 'For me, the biggest positives in Kochi were the javelin and the 1500m, the last two events,' said Shankar, also decathlon's Asian bronze medallist and the high jump bronze medallist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. 'My first throw was a personal best by 2m and I was also very happy about the 1500 because it's the most dreaded event. 'In Kochi, the biggest challenge for me was not about trying to run behind somebody and run a good time, rather I wanted to run the worst time and lead the race and that's what I was trying to do, especially after the first lap. And I surprised myself at the end.' That brought him a personal best too. Shankar would have hit another high in the pole vault too but there was a problem. Also read | Xiamen Diamond League: Avinash Sable finishes 13th in men's 3000m Steeplechase 'My best is 4.10m but I jumped 4m. The reason I couldn't take the next height was just because I didn't have a bigger pole,' he said. After focusing on the high jump in an attempt to qualify for the Paris Olympics last year, Shankar is fully into the multi-eventer this season. 'This year and onwards, especially until LA 2028 Olympics, the goal would be to try and become the best combined events athlete I can be. That doesn't mean I'm not going to the high jump in between but that's not my primary goal. 'Even if I do 2.30m in those competitions, that doesn't mean my primary goal is to move to the high jump but to try and get as many points as I can.' Shankar is now looking for a competition in Europe to improve his decathlon record. 'The goal is to try and get a competition in Europe later this year where I can, without worrying about the results, just score as big as I can because the conditions will be a little more friendly. Because weather definitely plays a role,' he said.
