Manikanta Hoblidhar performed volleyball, kabaddi and handball to a excessive commonplace at college. However as soon as he had a style of athletics at 17, there was no wanting again.
The 23-year-old is at present one of many nation’s quickest males, hungry to regain his 100m Nationwide document which he had surrendered to Gurindervir Singh (10.20s) by two hundredths of a second (10.22) on the Indian Grand Prix in Bengaluru a couple of weeks in the past.
Manikanta clearly needs to face out within the crowd.
“I’m the one one, the most effective, the strongest. My intention is to do 10.10s this yr,” stated Manikanta, who took the 100m bronze on the current Nationwide Federation Athletics Championships in Kochi. He additionally had the championships’ quickest time, having topped the semifinals with 10.25s.
With six of the seven quickest males within the nation’s all-time 100m listing at present in motion, that is Indian sprinting’s most fun interval.
The large query
That brings up the massive query: Is India near having its first sub-10s man?
“I count on that subsequent yr,” stated Radhakrishnan Nair, the Nationwide Chief Coach.
Martin Owens, head coach on the Reliance Basis Odisha Excessive Efficiency Centre, was extra cautious.
“Sub-10 is huge, it can occur. Subsequent yr may be just a little bit early, however you by no means know, it’d even this yr. However by no means make a prediction,” stated the Englishman. “I’d be stunned if the 100m Nationwide document doesn’t go once more this yr.”
And the athletes seem prepared.
“We could have our first sub-10 man this yr or subsequent yr. It might come by the point of this yr’s Open Nationals. And I really feel I can be doing the 9.99s in India,” stated Manikanta.
Animesh Kujur, who broke the 200m Nationwide document in Kochi, fancies his sub-10 possibilities, too.
“It’ll be me solely, I’m the most effective,” stated Owens’ trainee Kujur, the sixth quickest Indian ever (10.27). “I’m working exhausting for that. At any time when it’s to occur, it can occur.”
James Hillier, the Reliance Basis athletics director who coaches Gurindervir and Manikanta, is impressed with the present scene.
“What you’re having now could be a kind of cluster impact, with the boys pushing one another and I believe the largest factor is the mindset. The mindset is slowly altering,” he stated.
Don’t depend me out: Animesh Kujur, who set the 200m Nationwide document just lately, fancies his probabilities of breaking the 10-second barrier within the shorter dash. ‘At any time when it’s to occur, it can occur,’ he says. | Picture Credit score: R.Ok. Nithin
“Once I first got here to India, 10.5s would win the Nationals. And when somebody ran 10.4, everybody would go loopy. Individuals are beginning to run 10.2 and it’s changing into extra regular now, 10.3 is regular too, however 10.4 will not be even thought of that quick anymore.”
Hillier believes issues will transfer step-by-step.
“I believe you’ll see a number of athletes comfortably working sub-10.20. I anticipated Manikanta to run a minimum of 10.15 in Kochi. He has been working occasions in coaching that sign to me that he can run sooner than 10.1… 10.0-something. If the monitor was sooner, if the warm-up space and circumstances had been higher, he would have clocked 10.10. For me, 10.25 was disappointing.
“I’d be mortified and disillusioned if these guys, all three [Gurindervir, Manikanta, Kujur], don’t run 10.1-something this yr. And they’ll in all probability pull Pranav Gurav [Federation Nationals 100m champion with 10.27s] to these occasions as effectively. You could possibly have 4 guys beneath 10.10. And don’t low cost Amlan [Borgohain] both… he’s flying in coaching.”
Stronger collectively
Hillier feels the sprinters now want to maneuver forward collectively.
“For me, the second man is the vital one. The primary man breaks the time, that’s nice however then you definitely want the second man to run the time. As quickly as Gurindervir broke Mani’s document, Mani stated to me, ‘Coach, he’s going to borrow that document for 3 weeks, I’m going to take it again within the Federation Nationals’.
“And Animesh wasn’t in that Bengaluru race. So, once they broke that document, out of the blue Animesh bought excited… and he broke the 200m document [in Kochi].
“They inspire one another. All of them need to be the highest canine…so the minute somebody does that point, they’re like, ‘If you are able to do it, I can do it sooner’.”
Each sprinter within the group is exclusive.
“I don’t know a lot about Pranav Gurav however he’s bought head on him, he’s competitor. Gurindervir is a really highly effective man, he’s bought an excellent begin, I’m simply engaged on some postural issues, he doesn’t maintain his posture in addition to I need, so as soon as he fixes that, he’s going to run rather a lot sooner,” stated Hillier.
“Animesh will not be an excellent starter however an excellent finisher. He’s a 200m specialist however clearly he can run 100. Amlan could be very skilled however Manikanta is the one with the leg pace, it’s phenomenal. He’s the man with the true pace.”
Who’s prone to hit sub-10 first?
“It’s tough to say that. I wouldn’t need to do this as a result of I coach most of them…I’d be joyful if anybody did that, even whether it is somebody I don’t coach. For me, it’s in regards to the occasion shifting ahead,” stated Hillier. “I need to see individuals who say that Indians can’t dash eat their phrases as a result of I consider Indians can dash.”
Whereas the sprinters have been elevating the bar, there’s a lot disappointment that the Athletics Federation of India didn’t embrace Manikanta within the 100m for this month-end’s Asian Championships in South Korea regardless of the sprinter attaining the AFI’s qualification commonplace (10.25s) twice, in Bengaluru and Kochi.
“Had he completed first or second, he would have been thought of,” defined Radhakrishnan, who thinks Pranav Gurav might be the primary Indian to go sub-10.
Hillier feels the sprinters deserve extra assist. “It’s very irritating, disappointing, I don’t know why the federation isn’t supporting these boys as a lot as we wish. We weren’t conscious that the coverage was the primary to go the put up will get in, that was by no means communicated. Mani is completely heartbroken,” he stated.
Throwing his hat within the ring: Pranav Gurav shocked a robust subject to win gold on the Nationwide Federation Athletics Championships in Kochi, proving he’s amongst India’s quickest 100m sprinters. | Picture Credit score: R.Ok. Nithin
“It’s harsh. I respect the powerful requirements, it’s good, however when you’ve got powerful requirements, then you definitely bought to provide us good circumstances, good tracks and good competitions to race.”
Unlocking the subsequent degree
For India to go beneath 10s, very best circumstances have to be supplied.
“To go to the subsequent degree, they should compete abroad… competitions the place it’s set as much as run quick. A Mondo monitor, correct warm-up space and run on the proper time of the day with good winds,” stated Hillier.
“We have to discover the place the three quickest tracks in India are and put dash meets on them. Chennai and Bengaluru have good tracks. Let’s deliver abroad athletes right here if we need to do it in India.
“And let’s not run into headwinds. If there’s a headwind, let’s do it on the again straight, that’s how they do it in America. Let’s create the setting for these guys to run beneath 10s.”
With the sprinters shifting at such a promising tempo, clearly it’s time to maneuver mountains to assist them.
Revealed – Could 02, 2025 11:26 pm IST
