Asian Games: The field looks greener than the track

September 16, 2014 01:59 am | Updated September 17, 2014 05:30 pm IST

Vikas Gowda, who has had a better season when compared to other Asian discus thrwoers, is India's best bet at Incheon.

Vikas Gowda, who has had a better season when compared to other Asian discus thrwoers, is India's best bet at Incheon.

Talk to the chief National coach Bahadur Singh or top athletics federation officials and one realises that nobody is talking about gold at the Asian Games these days.

“It’s not a question of gold or silver… one must understand the competition has become very tough in Asia,” said Bahadur. “We may get a total of 10 to 12 medals, it may be gold, may be silver.

“Our chances are very good in throws — men’s shot put, men’s and women’s discus — and in men’s triple jump. On the track, M.R. Poovamma in 400m, Tintu Luka in 800, O.P. Jaisha in 1500 and the relay team look good for medals.”

Bumpy journey

Athletics provided 12 (including five gold) medals at the last Games in China, but the road to Incheon has been bumpy. While lack of funds was dished out as the reason for not sending athletes on exposure trips before the Commonwealth Games, the 45-day break between Glasgow and Incheon meant that there was very little time to plan international meets. And then there was the Federation Cup, the selection trials for the Asiad, to be taken care of.

All the five gold medals that India won at Guangzhou came from the track — Joseph Abraham and Aswini Akkunji (both 400m hurdles), Preeja Sreedharan (10,000m), steeplechaser Sudha Singh and the women’s mile relay team — but this time, the ‘field’ appears greener, the chances in the throws and the triple jump brighter.

Commonwealth Games discus champion Vikas Gowda, who won a bronze in 2010, is the lone world-class athlete in the Indian team and appears to be the brightest hope for a gold in Korea.

The World No. 7 was a regular in the Diamond League and he finished fourth overall in the event at the end of the season which should further boost his rating and confidence.

The presence of the two Iranians in the entry list at Incheon — London Olympics silver medallist Ehsan Hadadi and Mohammed Samimi, who took gold and silver in Guangzhou after Ahmad Mohammed’s disqualification, should make it a close affair.

But Hadadi has taken part in fewer meets than the Indian this year and Gowda, currently the best Asian in the event’s world list, has been more consistent and that should offer the Mysore-born thrower a small edge.

While Gowda, based in the US and trained by renowned coach John Godina, is clearly the athlete who has received the maximum international exposure this year, women’s discus thrower Seema Punia and men’s triple jumper Arpinder Singh, also an Asian leader, should be working on the gains made at Glasgow. Shot putters Inderjeet Singh and Om Prakash Singh could also work up some surprise.

On the track, the women’s 4x400m relay team has the best chance for gold for the sheer depth of talent in the event in the country; four Indians figure in Asia’s top ten this year. And Tintu Luka should be hungry to prove her critics wrong in the 800m.

So, why does the ‘field’ appear greener than the track this time?

The women’s distance runners were in wonderful form in 2010 with the Belarussian coach Nikolai Snesarev — a tough taskmaster but a great motivator — being the big reason for this.

The efforts by Preeja Sreedharan (10,000m gold, 5000 silver), Sudha Singh (steeplechase gold) and Kavita Raut (10,000 silver, 5000 bronze) helped India finished a creditable sixth overall in the medal table.

Unfortunately, Snesarev was forced to quit in 2011 after his demand for a pay hike was turned down.

He was lured back this year but with very little time to work his magic, the distance runners clearly don’t look in top shape.

Snesarav wanting his runners to stay away from the Commonwealth Games only brought the lack of confidence to the fore.

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