Kozhikode (Kerala): Abdullah Abubakar, a promising triple jumper from Kozhikode, is set to represent India in the qualifying round of the triple jump event at the Paris Olympics tonight at 10:45 PM. The entire village of Nadapuram Valayam will be glued to their TV screens, eagerly anticipating their local hero's performance.
Abubakar's father, Abubakar, expressed his hopes and called for prayers from everyone. "My son needs everyone's prayers to win the competition, get a medal, and move on," he told ETV Bharat.
The residents of Nadapuram Valayam are elated to see Abdullah's lifelong dream coming to fruition. "His dream was to participate in the Olympic Games. That dream is now fulfilled. Now, he aims to win an Olympic medal. If he can showcase his career-best performance today, it is possible. His parents have always supported him. Everyone is waiting with hope," said PK Khalid Master, Abdullah's teacher and native of Valayam.
Known as "Abdu" among friends, Abdullah Abubakar hails from Valayam village near Nadapuram in Kozhikode district but completed his secondary education in Palakkad district. During his school days, he competed in various events such as sprints, high jump, long jump, and hurdles. It was in the ninth grade at Kalladi Kumaramputhur HSS, Palakkad, that he realized triple jump was his true calling. A year later, he won gold in the state and national school sports competitions, emerging as a prodigy at the state school games in 2013-14.
Abubakar later studied at Mar Athanasius College of Engineering, Kothamangalam. In 2015, he became the national champion in the junior category and trained at SAI Bangalore under Horizontal Jumps assistant coach Harikrishnan. He won a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, with a jump of 17.02 meters in his fifth attempt, becoming the first Indian athlete to clear 17 meters three times. At the Asian Games, Abubakar narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing fourth.
Despite a series of injuries to his foot, knee, and ankle, Abdullah's determination never wavered. He clinched the gold medal at the Indian Grand Prix Athletics held in Bhubaneswar with a jump of 17.19 meters, the best performance by an Indian triple jumper since Ranjit Maheshwari. He also secured silver at the National Senior Athletics Championship in Chennai with a jump of 17.14 meters.
In 2017, Abdullah secured a job in the Indian Air Force under the sports quota, a testament to his hard work and dedication. As he competes in Paris, Abdullah is not just chasing an Olympic medal but also the dreams and hopes of an entire village.
