New Delhi: With the track-and-field events in the ongoing 2023 Asian Games set to kick off on Saturday, Tejaswin Shankar will have many eyes on him while representing the country in the Decathlon.
The Indian athlete switched from the High Jump to the Decathlon and has been impressive in the events he has participated. Tejaswin shined in the second event of his career after the switch by scoring 7,648 points and securing a berth in the Asian Games, which are being held in China. The 24-year-old has a High Jump national record and has also bagged a medal in the same event in the Commonwealth Games 2022 held in Birmingham.
Tejaswin opined that focusing on his own self rather than worrying about the results will be his aim ahead of the Asian Games.
“I want to have that feeling back of going there, and competing to the best of my ability without worrying about what may happen, and what may not happen. I have two whole days of worrying about a competition where I am going to continuously think about it for 48 hours," Tejaswin was quoted as saying in a press release issued by the Inspire Institute of Sports (IIS). IIS, which is based in Karnataka, is supporting Tejaswin.
"The less I think about the competitors now, the less I worry about the results. I think that's the best approach. I know that if I am able to show up on that given day, I am as competitive or better than any other competitor in that field. My only goal is to go and express myself to the best of my ability,” he added.
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Competing in the Decathlon requires athletes to be extremely fit as the event includes 10 events - 100m, long jump, high jump, shot put and 400m on Day One, followed by 110m hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin and 1500m on Day 2.
Tejaswin revealed that his time at the IIS helped him to achieve the required fitness levels.
“Before the Asian Championships, when I was at IIS, I was able to get multiple physical tests and they guided me on how to improve my physical abilities to prepare for major championships. I also had some physical imbalances and they guided me on how I can improve my diet nutrition-wise,” he explained.
Tejaswin's first international event, Asian Athletics Championship turned out to be fruitful for him as he clinched the bronze medal with a score of 7,527 points. The Athlete hopes that he can inspire others to participate in the discipline.
“I am happy that an event like the decathlon is getting the attention that it deserves because it's definitely one of the hardest events in track and field. We have good decathlon athletes in India, who have not been able to get the recognition they deserve. It's not an underrepresented sport but has not received its fair share of limelight. I am really happy that through me, hopefully, we can highlight the event,” he signed off.
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