CHENNAI: Even as most of India's leading athletes are training at the SAI campus in Patiala, Arokia Rajiv is training by himself in Lalgudi, a small town near Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu. The 400m specialist had to dash back to his hometown because of a family emergency.
"After taking permission from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), I returned home. I was in home quarantine for 14 days before beginning my training at the government school nearby," the athlete told The New Indian Express.
The 2014 Asian Games 400m bronze medallist was bothered by a toe injury last year, which kept him out of the World Championships in Doha. The 29-year-old said those problems are behind him. "Yes, I'm completely healed now," he said. "How can I run in 20.7 seconds over 200m in training if I'm not fit?" That is just 0.04 seconds slower than his fastest competitive time across the distance (20.66 at an event in Czech Republic in 2018).
This will come as good news to AFI officials, who have been touting the 4x400m contingent as potential medal winners. That belief was boosted as the silver the team secured in the 4x400m mixed at the 2018 Asian Games was bumped up to gold after Bahrain was disqualified following a dope-related ban for one of their runners.
Rajiv was part of that team and he hopes to use it as a platform to plan an assault on the Tokyo Games next year. "It will definitely motivate us to perform better," he said.
One thing that may count against Rajiv & Co is the lack of competitive sharpness. Rajiv himself hasn't taken part in a competition since April 2019. To compound matters, Hima Das, who also featured in the 4x400m mixed final in Jakarta in 2018, hasn't run since August.
And because of the complex situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, it's likely that the racers won't be able to gain invaluable competition time in the next few months. AFI has slated September (first Indian Grand Prix is scheduled for September 12 in Patiala) for resumption of events but Rajiv is doubtful. "I don't see how competitions can begin before November or December," he said.
However, unlike other Indian athletes, the quartet can at least take their time as they have already qualified for the Olympics through the World Championships last year.