The pervading cloud-cover over the spaciously structured Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, readying for the four-day Senior National Open Athletics Championship that begins on Monday, is a poignant reflection of the gloom that envelopes the never-promising scene of athletics in the country.
The London Olympics was an imminent disaster, and not a sudden awakening to a harsh realism. It was a subdued mirroring of India’s legitimate place in the athletic horizon, gently specifying the bigger reality that the size of a nation or its population doesn’t necessarily correspond to the medals they win. So where can Indian athletics head from now? Would it continue in the same vein, plummeting from one nadir to the other or would a fresh batch of athletes offer the much-needed whiff of fresh air? Would they still be dogged by administrative incompetence or would a new order of visionaries stall the slid?
The answers of these aren’t categorically explainable. But a national championship, wherein 13 of those who competed in London partake, is an agreeable place to begin the scout for fresh talents. Of those, only a handful is likely for Rio. Hence, the focus of the tournament should be on blooming athletes.
Discus thrower Krishna Poonia is certainly in the scheme of things, as she not only seems to have the drive but also the courage to strive the extra yard. Moreover, discus throwers can sustain their graph well into the 30s unlike their track and field counterparts. Seema Antil and Harwant Kaur, her two contemporaries, though are soon fading out. The latter couldn’t qualify for London while Seema didn’t even reach the final. However, given proper care and training, their careers can be stretched, at least till 2014. While the time is ripe to blood in Poonia’s successors, talented discus throwers have been hard to come by. There is hardly anyone to succeed shot-putter Om Prakash either.
Grimmer is the scenario in track and field. High jumper Sahana Kumari, already 31, is past her prime while triple jumpers Renjith Maheshwary and Mayookha Johny have plateaued, bereft of motivation and satisfied with whatever little they have achieved. Many former athletes reckon Mayookha would have been better off pursuing long jump, her preferred sphere (she holds a best of 6.64m). MA Prajusha is another athlete that, if groomed, can breach the next level.
Steeplechaser Sudha Singh and middle-distance runner Tinku Luka, aged 26 and 23 respectively, are expected to raise their level in forthcoming fixtures, for both have displayed considerable promise. The quartet of walkers —Baljinder Singh, Bahadur Singh Rana, Gurmeet Singh and Irfan KT will be seen in action too. Irfan, who finished a decent 10th in 20km walk, should be invested in, for he is a tough competitor.
Though it’s likely that these 13 athletes would squarely corner the flashbulbs, the onus should ideally be on the up-and-coming talents, on whom rests the redemption of Indian athletics.