DAYS before the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea kicks off, there's a healthy dose of optimism surrounding the Indian athletes.
Having racked up an impressive 27 medals — six gold, 12 silver and nine bronze — in the last edition of the continental meet, the 59-member contingent is hoping to go higher this time around.
Javelin thrower Sachin Yadav, long and middle-distance runner Gulveer Singh and hurdler Jyothi Yarraji are some of the well-known figures in the team looking to lead the charge in the event that begins on May 27. The trio addressed the media during a press conference at New Delhi on Thursday.
With double Olympic medallist, Neeraj Chopra, giving the event a miss, the onus will be on Yadav to soldier the responsibility in the javelin event. The 25-year-old, who has a personal best throw of 84.39 metres, will be hopeful of a podium finish. Moreover, Yadav will also be aiming to breach the qualification mark of 85.50m for the World Athletics Championships, a marquee event which is scheduled to be held at Tokyo later this year.
"I will give my best when I take part in a competition. I am my own competition," Yadav told reporters. With a body structure favoured to produce more power, Yadav has focussed more on his technique in recent training sessions. "It is not that, with more power, you can throw further; it all boils down to technique. You can achieve more distance with less power too, Power does not guarantee distance," he stated.
Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, Paris Olympics gold medallist, is bound to be a stern test for the Indian. He's not fazed by his presence and is just looking to focus on things under his control. He also doesn't mind the physical comparisons between him and Nadeem. "It is a thing of pride, he is an Olympic medal holder," he added. "It is a thing of motivation, I don't take it as pressure. When I face him in a competition, I will give my best."
Likewise, national record holder for both 5000m and 10,000m Gulveer Singh is entering the meet with a similar objective. He felt that the exposure trips in the US in addition to continuous participation in various competitions recently has helped his preparations.
In the 2023 edition at Thailand, Singh had finished third in the 5000m run, clocking at 13.48.33. A national record then, Singh had bettered with a run of 13:11.82 at Boston in February this year. Given his form, he's also expected to mount a challenge for the medal. However, he admitted that there is some form of pressure. "There is little pressure, because everyone thinks of getting a medal for the country. Even I think of it. When others can get a medal, even I can. They will come soon," he said.
Yarraji, who won a gold medal in the previous edition's 100m women's hurdles (at 13.10 seconds), spoke about the increased levels of competition. She's hopeful of going under 13 seconds. "This time, it is set to be tougher than the previous edition. My aim is to run below 13 seconds," she told reporters.
The importance of this meet for the trio and the rest of the contingent cannot be understated. A good outcome in South Korea could provide them the right platform ahead of the much-acclaimed World Championships later this year.
'Visa issues sorted for 25 athletes bound for Asian C'ships' : AFI
The visa issues faced by 25 athletes bound for the meet for have been sorted and they will reach the host country on time, confirmed the AFI.
"We are getting the visas on Thursday evening through the efforts of the Sports Ministry and the South Korean Embassy. The matter is sorted out," AFI Secretary General Sandeep Mehta told reporters before the team departure here. Out of the 59 athletes, those based at Thiruvananthapuram training center will leave for Gumi from Thrivananthapuram on Thursday. Those whose training bases are in Bengaluru, Patiala and Mumbai will leave from Delhi on the same day.