Two experiments by two women athletes answered all the questions about scheduling the National Open Athletics after the Asian Games.
Competitions are always a huge learning experience. Whatever the schedule, some athletes will definitely benefit. So when the federation scheduled the National Open Championship after the Asian Games, the Asian Games stars stayed away, but other athletes still made the most of the opportunity.
I can think of many stars to highlight; two already well-known athletes made two wonderful decisions to compete outside their specialty. One was Shaili Singh, who must have been disappointed after missing an Asian Games medal in the women’s long jump, came to the nationals and competed in the triple jump. I always advocate athletes trying different events, and Shaili, despite no specific training, jumped 13.31 m, finished third, and got her coach excited about her future in this event. He seemed confident she could soon break the national triple jump record. Well done to the coach and the athlete.
The second experiment also came from a long jumper, Mubassina Mohammed, who usually finished third behind Ancy and Shaili in the long jump. Mobassina entered the heptathlon comfortably through the day, except for the shot put, and clocked 24.8 in the 200 m in the last event. In between, she also competed in the long jump and surprised everyone by winning her first-ever gold in the women’s long jump, pushing Shaili to second by one centimeter. Her 200 m opens up the possibility of her excelling in 400 m and possibly 800 m at the highest level for india.
So here are the answers to those who questioned the scheduling.
