NEW DELHI: The mantra that Olympic and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra taught high jumper Sarvesh Kushare, who is headed to the Paris Games, is to “just focus on training and don’t get scared by the fame of the opponents.”
At one point this year, Kushare wasn’t even sure he would make the Paris Games roster, but he stated that Chopra’s counsel has given him more confidence.His world ranking quota allowed him to qualify for the Olympics. The automatic qualifying mark for the Paris Games was 2.33 meters.
Kushare has gone a long way from practicing on a makeshift platform made of grain to being the first Indian high jumper to earn an Olympic spot.
“I have not met Neeraj bhai for a long time, but when we met last time, he told me to focus on training and not be afraid of the fame of the opponents. He always keeps giving important tips,” Kushare told PTI Bhasha in an interview from Poland where he is training along with other Paris-bound Indian athletes.
“He (Chopra) is my idol and he gave us confidence by winning the first ever Olympic medal in athletics. We also want to be like him and bring pride to the country,” said the high jumper, who hails from Deogaon village, a few kilometres from Nashik in Maharashtra.
Reaching the finals of the Paris Games can be a feasible goal with a personal best of 2.27m and a season’s best of 2.25m. However, the 29-year-old, who is competing in his first Olympics, stated that he has been routinely clearing the 2.30-meter mark in practice.
“It is only my height that is small but I am also very strong from within. There is no fear of seeing my opponent’s personality. It is important to be in top form at the right time and have faith in your preparation,” Kushare, who stands at 5 feet 9 inches, said.
“Right now the focus is on the qualification round which will be held on August 7 at 10 am. The first goal is to make it to the finals. I will plan for the rest later.”
Kushare, who is now training in Spala, Poland, with other Indian competitors headed to the Olympics, began the sport on a crude mat constructed from leftover maize that was fed to cows.
“There was no high jump mat in our village, so the corn fodder collected for the cow was used as a mat with a foam cover on it. It was used as a landing area and we used to do practice on it,’ he recollected.
“I started playing under the guidance of my school’s PT teacher R W Jadhav sir. Then I went to the Army Sports Institute and also got support from Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) which sent me to America for training.”
His daughter was born nine months ago, but he won’t get to meet her until after the Olympics.
“I have a nine-month-old daughter but I have not met her since November. Initially, I stayed with her for just five days and now I will meet her only after the Olympics,” he said.
Kushare will have a difficult assignment to contend for a medal in Paris, though. In the past year, at least nine athletes have jumped 2.33 meters or more.
With equal jumps of 2.37 meters, Mutaz Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy shared the gold medal in Tokyo. With a season high of 2.31m, Barshim has been having some difficulty as Tamberi is currently at the top of the leaderboard with 2.37m.
Kushare, who won gold in the National Inter-State Championship in Panchkula in June with a jump of 2.25 meters, was unsure at one point if he would make it to the Olympics in Paris.
“Before June, my ranking had gone down to 36 because I could not play in May when competitions were going on all over the world. I was afraid whether I would be able to play in the Olympics or not. I was under a lot of pressure but then I qualified by performing consistently well in Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Panchkula,” he said.
‘I had a lot of problems due to an ankle injury but now my confidence has increased by practising well consistently.
Talking about his daily training routine at Spala, he said, “Practice includes gym, speed work, strength training. The recovery sessions here are very good. We just rest in our free time because it is very important to give rest to the body.” He said when asked about his routine .
“I talk to a sports psychologist regularly for mental preparation. He tells me how to deal with pressure and how to keep myself mentally fresh. I do yoga and meditation every morning.”
On July 8, the Indian athletics team began training at Spala, and on July 29, they will depart for Paris.
At one point this year, Kushare wasn’t even sure he would make the Paris Games roster, but he stated that Chopra’s counsel has given him more confidence.His world ranking quota allowed him to qualify for the Olympics. The automatic qualifying mark for the Paris Games was 2.33 meters.
Kushare has gone a long way from practicing on a makeshift platform made of grain to being the first Indian high jumper to earn an Olympic spot.
“I have not met Neeraj bhai for a long time, but when we met last time, he told me to focus on training and not be afraid of the fame of the opponents. He always keeps giving important tips,” Kushare told PTI Bhasha in an interview from Poland where he is training along with other Paris-bound Indian athletes.
“He (Chopra) is my idol and he gave us confidence by winning the first ever Olympic medal in athletics. We also want to be like him and bring pride to the country,” said the high jumper, who hails from Deogaon village, a few kilometres from Nashik in Maharashtra.
Reaching the finals of the Paris Games can be a feasible goal with a personal best of 2.27m and a season’s best of 2.25m. However, the 29-year-old, who is competing in his first Olympics, stated that he has been routinely clearing the 2.30-meter mark in practice.
“It is only my height that is small but I am also very strong from within. There is no fear of seeing my opponent’s personality. It is important to be in top form at the right time and have faith in your preparation,” Kushare, who stands at 5 feet 9 inches, said.
“Right now the focus is on the qualification round which will be held on August 7 at 10 am. The first goal is to make it to the finals. I will plan for the rest later.”
Kushare, who is now training in Spala, Poland, with other Indian competitors headed to the Olympics, began the sport on a crude mat constructed from leftover maize that was fed to cows.
“There was no high jump mat in our village, so the corn fodder collected for the cow was used as a mat with a foam cover on it. It was used as a landing area and we used to do practice on it,’ he recollected.
“I started playing under the guidance of my school’s PT teacher R W Jadhav sir. Then I went to the Army Sports Institute and also got support from Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) which sent me to America for training.”
His daughter was born nine months ago, but he won’t get to meet her until after the Olympics.
“I have a nine-month-old daughter but I have not met her since November. Initially, I stayed with her for just five days and now I will meet her only after the Olympics,” he said.
Kushare will have a difficult assignment to contend for a medal in Paris, though. In the past year, at least nine athletes have jumped 2.33 meters or more.
With equal jumps of 2.37 meters, Mutaz Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy shared the gold medal in Tokyo. With a season high of 2.31m, Barshim has been having some difficulty as Tamberi is currently at the top of the leaderboard with 2.37m.
Kushare, who won gold in the National Inter-State Championship in Panchkula in June with a jump of 2.25 meters, was unsure at one point if he would make it to the Olympics in Paris.
“Before June, my ranking had gone down to 36 because I could not play in May when competitions were going on all over the world. I was afraid whether I would be able to play in the Olympics or not. I was under a lot of pressure but then I qualified by performing consistently well in Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Panchkula,” he said.
‘I had a lot of problems due to an ankle injury but now my confidence has increased by practising well consistently.
Talking about his daily training routine at Spala, he said, “Practice includes gym, speed work, strength training. The recovery sessions here are very good. We just rest in our free time because it is very important to give rest to the body.” He said when asked about his routine .
“I talk to a sports psychologist regularly for mental preparation. He tells me how to deal with pressure and how to keep myself mentally fresh. I do yoga and meditation every morning.”
On July 8, the Indian athletics team began training at Spala, and on July 29, they will depart for Paris.
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