“Love for sports runs in my family. My father, Mohammed Nizamuddin is a former athlete and mother is a former long jumper. So, it isn’t surprising that I took the same route,” says triple jumper S N Mohammed Salahuddin, who recently won a gold medal at the Qasanov Memorial Meet held at Almaty Kazakhstan where he cleared a distance of 16.64 meters and another at the XXII International Memorial Competition held at Bishkek, Kyrgyztan, where he covered 16.53m. “16.64 is my personal best, and I am a bit disappointed as I missed qualifying for the World Athletic Championship by 0.31 m,” he says.
Salahuddin was training for the upcoming National Championship when he learnt about his selection by the Athletic Federation of India for the Qasanov Memorial Meet. “They issued the list just 15 days prior to the competition. It was a surprise but, as I was already training hard, I was in a good form.” He says he was not particularly nervous and was confident. The food and the weather were both pleasant and that added to his sense of well being. He works out for six hours every day. “The exercises are usually intense and include weight training and sessions on the ground.”
He says that he enjoyed the competitions. “Though the competition in Kazakhstan went smoothly, the one at Krygystan did not. The track was uneven and I had a sharp pain on my heel during the event. Though I won the gold, I could have done better.”
Salahuddin’s love for sports has endured since the time he was in the fifth standard. “I would participate in 100m, 200m, high jump and long jump. My father has been training me since the beginning. I developed an interest in triple jump when I was in Std X.”
Salahuddin enjoys the challenge of the triple jump and says he has to be in peak physical form. But it was not always so. “I suffered from frequent injuries. I won medals but I was unhappy with my scores.” But all that is in the past and he is now at the National Athletics camp in Thiruvananthapuram preparing for the Inter-state championship, which might still give him a coveted spot in that World Athletic Championship. “This is my last chance and though I am recovering from my injury, I am confident that I can do it.”
He says that his favourites in his field are Mohammed Nizamuddin (his dad) and Jonathan Edwards, who hold the world record for triple jump. “My father was one of the finest triple jumpers of his time. He has represented the country for 17 international competitions and has won bronze in 1989 and silver in 1991 at the South Asian Federation Games. He was also the national record holder from 1989 to 1993, I am lucky to train under him.” Salahuddin has another dream — of representing India at the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics. “I know I can do it.”
