CHENNAI: The first Indian athletics had a sedate start to the season. Most of the top athletes were either missing or training abroad. Understandably, the first Indian Grand Prix did not create as much buzz except for in the horizontal jumps -- both men and women.
The focus was on young Shaili Singh, the former Under-20 World silver medallist from Uttar Pradesh who would begin her season with an eye on qualifying for the Olympics. Though her coach Robert Bobby George was expecting her jump around 6.72m Shaili had a promising start. Her first jump was 6.52m and there was some excitement in her camp. However, she could not capitalise on the starts. Her next best jump was 6.50 and the last was 6.40m. The rhythm, however, is back.
Shaili, who trains at the Anju Bobby George’s jump academy in Bengaluru under Robert, is also gearing up for a training and exposure trip to Europe next month. According to her coach, they would be hoping to compete at a few Continental Tour events in Athens, Chorzow in Poland, Marseille and Leverkusen. Right now she is at 42 on the Road to Paris ranking and she needs to climb at least 10 places to make it through ranking. The entry standard in the Paris Olympics is 6.86m. Anju’s national record stands at 8.63m. Three good 6.72m and above jumps would help her climb those ranks. Her personal best is 6.76m last year.
National record holder in triple jump Praveen Chithravel too had a mediocre start to the season when he cleared 17.12m in his fourth attempt.
Focus was on Hima Das as well, who made a comeback after more than a year. Though she competed in the 200m, she failed to finish the race after withdrawing more than halfway into the race.