CHENNAI : The World Athletics website leads with Neeraj Chopra’s picture and story. The headline says: ‘Chopra, from world U20 champion to Olympic gold’. Preview of the World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi and some other U20 stories follow. This is how the WA is promoting the Nairobi event. Chopra features right on top. From the junior gold five years ago to Olympic glory is the story WA wants more athletes to emulate next Olympic cycle.
As several of the country’s finest young athletes board the flight late on Saturday, the excitement is palpable. There is expectation of good show on a stage that could propel them to stardom. Medals would be tough barring a couple of athletes. One among the 28-member India team is long-jumper Shaili Singh, 17, from Uttar Pradesh. Her personal and season’s best of 6.48m (jr national record) is among the top five in the junior list. Among the provisional entries, 19-year-old Terry Ebosele of Spain has a personal and season’s best of 6.63m, while Italy’s Arianna Battistella has a best of 6.55m. There are a couple of others who have jumped 6.49m too.
India’s only senior Worlds medallist, Anju Bobby George, felt Shaili is expected to do well. “She is in that 6.60m range,” she told this daily. Shaili has been training at Anju Bobby George academy in Bengaluru since she was 14 years old. For some athletes, including Shaili, this is their first international meet. The stage could be intimidating, but Robert Bobby George, her coach, sounded optimistic. “Going by the entry list, she is quite confident of doing well,” he said. “Our target is to go beyond the 6.50m mark. We have been training for this. It looks achievable. Shaili, too, is confident.”
“It is her first international meet and that too Worlds, but she is not worried much. All she cares is a medal. She has the ability to compete with senior athletes, like she had done during the inter-state senior nationals in Patiala. I don’t think she will be over-awed. Also the entry list in long jump has given her more confidence. The conditions also should be favourable in Nairobi.”Shaili is not the only athlete who could win a medal. Javelin thrower Ajay Raj Singh Rana is another. Though his best is nowhere near Neeraj’s junior world record of 86.48m, going by the entry list, his throw of 74.75m, achieved in August, is third on the list. Two throwers — Artur Felfner (78.41m) and Eryk Kolodziejzak (74.77m) — are ahead of him.
Squad: Boys: Nalubothu Shanmuga Srinivas (200m), Anu Kumar (800m), Sunil Joliya Jinabhai (3000m steeplechase), Tejas Ashok Shirse (110m hurdles), Hardeep and Rohan Kamble (400m hurdles), Amit (10000m race walk), Amandeep Dhaliwal (shot put), Kunwer Ajai Singh Rana and Jay Kumar (javelin throw), Vipin Kumar (hammer throw), Donald. M (triple jump), Bharth S, Kapil, Abdul Razak, Sumit Chahal and Nagarjunan S (4x400m relay); Girls: Priya H Mohan and Summy (400m), Pooja (800m and 1500m), Ankita Dhyani (5000m), Agasara and Ann Tomy (100m hurdles), Shaili Singh (long jump), Baljeet Bajwa (10000m race walk), Priya H Mohan*, Summy*, Payal Vohra, Deepanshi and Kunja Rajitha (4x400m relay).