Toughening up: Priya’s new coach Anier Garcia has an aggressive method, however she says it’s working effectively. Photo: Stan Rayan
As Cuban Anier Garcia shouts loudly, forcing his athletes to push tougher throughout their dash repetitions on the Birsa Munda Stadium right here on a burning Sunday morning, Priya Mohan seems sturdy and decided.
Two years in the past, she was the nation’s quickest quartermiler and a junior World Championship relay medallist. But loads has modified in her life now.
She parted methods together with her long-time coach Arjun Ajay two months in the past in Bengaluru and is now coaching on the JSW’s Inspire Institute of Sport at Ballari below Garcia, the 2000 Olympic 110m hurdles champion.
The new life isn’t simple, however it is a new Priya.
“My new coach has an aggressive approach, he makes us work hard but then there’s enough rest during practice which works out well,” mentioned Priya in a chat with The Hindu right here on Sunday. “He’s an Olympic champion, that motivates us a lot too.”
A hamstring harm noticed her skip the previous few competitions, however Priya is eager to clock a private finest time within the Federation Cup which start right here on Monday.
“This will be a new start for me and I’m looking at a ‘greater’ timing in the inter-state Nationals (in Bhubaneswar, June). I want to give the World Championships qualification time (51s) a shot,” mentioned the 20-year-old, who has a private better of 52.37s.
Rezoana Mallick Heena, the 16-year-old who’s coached by her former coach Ajay, is now the nation’s quickest girl and the No. 2 Asian this 12 months (52.98s) that got here with the under-18 Asian gold in Tashkent lately.
But the ladies’s quartermile can be an odd world.
Rupal Chaudhary, the under-20 junior World bronze medallist in Colombia final 12 months with a shocking 51.85s, is but to compete in a nationwide meet this season.
“Rupal said she had an ACL tear in January and still has some pain and that is why she is skipping the Federation Cup,” mentioned an athlete who was her teammate ultimately 12 months’s Junior Worlds. But P.Okay. Srivastava, the UP Athletics Association secretary, mentioned that Rupal had run within the UP State meet per week in the past.
And Himanshi Malik, whose National varsities 400m gold-winning time of 52.99s in Chennai in March would have made her the third quickest Asian this 12 months, is but to compete in any of the Athletics Federation of India’s competitions this season (the AFI doesn’t recognise varsities National performances as there is no such thing as a dope-testing there).
“Her practical exams are on now. She will take part in inter-State meet,” mentioned Ramesh Sindhu, her coach.
