CHENNAI: Praveen Chithravel had a moment to remember recently. At 21, it is safe to say that the triple jumper is still learning his trade with honest ambitions to soar to big heights.
Recently, he got his first taste of success at the senior level. A silver medal at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Kazakhstan. In a world that is largely thirsty for high performers, his effort (best effort of 16.98m) might not seem that significant but it was massive for him on a personal level.
It was his first major international medal and an emotional moment for his proud family. "I'm already with my first senior medal in internationals (senior), and it's only the start of 2023," said an elated Praveen in a virtual interaction. "After winning the medal, I called my parents and sister. My mother cried like she does every time. She couldn't even take that I missed the medal at the Commonwealth Games (he had finished fourth), but she is happy."
This success has come after hardships in the past. The youngster from Tamil Nadu had narrowly missed out on a medal during the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last year. Likewise, he has endured misses in the past. In his early days, he hardly got to go home, and at times, it would have been because he didn't have the financial means for it. He used to train with his personal coach Indra Suresh even during festivals or family events. One such instance was the unfortunate demise of his grandmother ahead of his bronze medal-winning show at the 2018 Youth Olympics.
"I have missed weddings and funerals. Ahead of the Youth Olympics in 2018, my grandmother died. I was informed only after the competition by my family. It devastated me. She was the one who brought me up when I was a child," he said.
However, he has come a long way since. Training at the JSW's Inspire Institute of Sport, which he calls his second home, the athlete is not looking back. "As I'm with JSW, they give me a strict diet program. Everything from nutrition to psychology is taken care of. I'd call this my home. Everyone here takes great care, just like how my parents do," said Praveen, who had his definitive moment with javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra at IIS. "Neeraj won gold in the Olympics and later came down to IIS and showed the medal. I would call that moment my personal special."
On the track, he has Yoandri Betanzos, who finished fourth in the 2004 Athens Olympics, as his coach. Their partnership has been prospering but their coaching language is both unusual and effective. "Edhukku?!" (imitating a familiar meme template from Tamil pop culture), asking if there is any language barrier with his Cuban coach. "There is no language only to have a barrier (laughs)." says the Thanjavur youngster. "Whatever he wants to explain, he directly jumps and demonstrates while training."
As the focus shifts to the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 21-year-old seems confident about his preparations and progress over the next 12 months. He has the Asian Games (in September), Asian Athletics Championships (in July), and the World Championships (in August) in his sights.
"If I focus mainly on them, I'll automatically qualify for the Olympics and will definitely win a medal," he signed off.