Manikanta Hoblidhar performed volleyball, kabaddi and handball to a excessive normal at college. However as soon as he had a style of athletics at 17, there was no trying again.
The 23-year-old is presently 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 number of weeks in the past.
Manikanta clearly needs to face out within the crowd.
“I’m the one one, one of the best, the strongest. My purpose is to do 10.10s this 12 months,” mentioned Manikanta, who took the 100m bronze on the latest 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 record presently in motion, that is Indian sprinting’s most enjoyable interval.
The large query
That brings up the large query: Is India near having its first sub-10s man?
“I count on that subsequent 12 months,” mentioned Radhakrishnan Nair, the Nationwide Chief Coach.
Martin Owens, head coach on the Reliance Basis Odisha Excessive Efficiency Centre, was extra cautious.
“Sub-10 is massive, it’ll occur. Subsequent 12 months is likely to be slightly bit early, however you by no means know, it would even this 12 months. However by no means make a prediction,” mentioned the Englishman. “I’d be shocked if the 100m Nationwide document doesn’t go once more this 12 months.”
And the athletes seem prepared.
“We could have our first sub-10 man this 12 months or subsequent 12 months. It might come by the point of this 12 months’s Open Nationals. And I really feel I might be doing the 9.99s in India,” mentioned Manikanta.
Animesh Kujur, who broke the 200m Nationwide document in Kochi, fancies his sub-10 possibilities, too.
“It’ll be me solely, I’m one of the best,” mentioned Owens’ trainee Kujur, the sixth quickest Indian ever (10.27). “I’m working onerous for that. At any time when it’s to occur, it’ll 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 feel the most important factor is the mindset. The mindset is slowly altering,” he mentioned.
Don’t rely me out: Animesh Kujur, who set the 200m Nationwide document not too long ago, fancies his possibilities of breaking the 10-second barrier within the shorter dash. ‘At any time when it’s to occur, it’ll occur,’ he says. | Photograph Credit score: R.Ok. Nithin
“After I first got here to India, 10.5s would win the Nationals. And when somebody ran 10.4, everybody would go loopy. Persons are beginning to run 10.2 and it’s changing into extra regular now, 10.3 is regular too, however 10.4 shouldn’t be even thought of that quick anymore.”
Hillier believes issues will transfer step-by-step.
“I feel you’ll see a number of athletes comfortably operating sub-10.20. I anticipated Manikanta to run at the least 10.15 in Kochi. He has been operating occasions in coaching that sign to me that he can run sooner than 10.1… 10.0-something. If the observe was sooner, if the warm-up space and circumstances have been higher, he would have clocked 10.10. For me, 10.25 was disappointing.
“I’d be mortified and dissatisfied if these guys, all three [Gurindervir, Manikanta, Kujur], don’t run 10.1-something this 12 months. And they’re going to in all probability pull Pranav Gurav [Federation Nationals 100m champion with 10.27s] to these occasions as properly. You possibly can have 4 guys underneath 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 necessary 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 mentioned 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 received excited… and he broke the 200m document [in Kochi].
“They encourage 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 received a superb head on him, he’s a superb competitor. Gurindervir is a really highly effective man, he’s received an excellent begin, I’m simply engaged on some postural issues, he doesn’t maintain his posture in addition to I would like, so as soon as he fixes that, he’s going to run so much sooner,” mentioned Hillier.
“Animesh shouldn’t be an excellent starter however an excellent finisher. He’s a 200m specialist however clearly he can run a superb 100. Amlan could be very skilled however Manikanta is the one with the leg velocity, it’s phenomenal. He’s the man with the actual velocity.”
Who’s prone to hit sub-10 first?
“It’s tough to say that. I wouldn’t need to try 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 transferring ahead,” mentioned Hillier. “I need to see individuals who say that Indians can’t dash eat their phrases as a result of I imagine 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 reaching the AFI’s qualification normal (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 may very well 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 cross the submit will get in, that was by no means communicated. Mani is totally heartbroken,” he mentioned.
Throwing his hat within the ring: Pranav Gurav shocked a powerful subject to win gold on the Nationwide Federation Athletics Championships in Kochi, proving he’s amongst India’s quickest 100m sprinters. | Photograph Credit score: R.Ok. Nithin
“It’s harsh. I respect the powerful requirements, it’s good, however when you have powerful requirements, then you definitely received to present us good circumstances, good tracks and good competitions to race.”
Unlocking the following stage
For India to go underneath 10s, ultimate circumstances should be supplied.
“To go to the following stage, they should compete abroad… competitions the place it’s set as much as run quick. A Mondo observe, correct warm-up space and run on the proper time of the day with good winds,” mentioned 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 convey 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 atmosphere for these guys to run underneath 10s.”
With the sprinters transferring at such a promising tempo, clearly it’s time to maneuver mountains to assist them.
Printed – Could 02, 2025 11:26 pm IST