India’s top 110m hurdler, Siddhanth Thingalaya, is confident of a podium finish at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, and also at the Asian Games in Jakarta next year.
The 26-year-old Mumbaikar has held the National record in 100m hurdles from June 2012 (13.65s at Brussels) and last June, he created a new National record clocking 13.48s at the IAAF-sanctioned Altis Invitational Meet in Phoenix, Arizona. This timing enabled him to qualify for the IAAF World Athletics Championships in London. The AFI AGM in New Delhi on Saturday is likely to ratify his new National record.
Thingalaya believes Jamaican Olympic and World Champion 110m hurdler, Omar McLeod, may choose the World Indoors at Birmingham next March over the Commonwealth. “There are a few more from the UK and Australia, but the Jamaicans are better when it comes to the Commonwealth Games.”
During an interaction at the Press Cub Mumbai on Friday, the 6.3-foot tall Thingalaya said the time has arrived for Indian athletes to arrive on the World scene. “So far only Anju Bobby George has won the long jump bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships in Paris. India is a developing nation and sports is slowly gaining traction. The athletes need to do something big to get support from sponsors.”
Thinagalaya’s parents, both bankers, have done everything they could. “They have supported me right through. I pay $2000 annually to my my coach Gary Cablayan. I ought to have been paying him $1000 a month, but Gary has been kind. I have approached the AFI to get me into the TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme), and am also searching for sponsors,” said Thingalaya.
The hurdler said the Long Beach-based coach, who works with NFL Stars and with five other athletes, is chiefly responsible for his improved performance. “Now I run consistently in 13.4s. I hit a lot of hurdles in the World Championships in London and so the focus is on correcting the mistakes I made there. I am confident of doing that and also very hopeful of podium finishes.”
