Sunday’s third-place finish at the Inter-State Athletics meet may not be Kishore Jena’s most impressive show, but was nevertheless a significant one. The Asian Games silver medallist breached the 80m mark for the first time this season, throwing 80.84 and 80.47 in his second and third attempts at Tau Devi Lal Stadium.
It was just enough for third spot as Sahil Silwal made a personal-best throw of 81.81m. Vikant Malik took the silver medal with an 81.74m hurl.
But all eyes were on Jena, who has been going through a rough patch since his Asian Games silver when he registered a throw of 87.54m to finish behind reigning Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra. Jena had also booked a spot for the Paris Olympics through his Asiad exploits.
But in the three appearances since his triumph in Hangzhou, 78.47m had been his best throw. At the Federation Cup in Bhubaneswar, the 28-year-old managed a disappointing 75.49m to finish fifth in front of a home crowd.
India’s Neeraj Chopra (right) and Kishore Kumar Jena wave the national flag after securing gold and silver at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. (PTI Photo)
Questions were raised about his fitness but Jena feels “people are justified since they have high expectations”.
“I was happy to receive the criticism, in a way. I saw the true colours of certain people who spoke so highly of me earlier and then totally went against me when I hit a low. I have tried to stay away from social media but sometimes you get to hear things that disturb you. But I try to keep my head out of it,” he says.
Jena is not sure why he hit a slump after the Asiad despite giving his best during training sessions. Something just didn’t click for him and to make matters worse, he picked up an ankle niggle ahead of the May Fed Cup. Even though he is confident of making a full recovery before Paris, Jena feels the niggle on his block leg has forced him to not go all out yet.
“The injury happened during training and I got it assessed by the Athletics Federation of India doctors who told me it’s not a cause of concern. I competed with a bandaged ankle today but it should be fine,” said Jena who will participate in the Paris Diamond League next week.
Even though Sunday’s show was far below Jena’s usual standards, breaching the 80m mark took some weight off his shoulders. “I have been trying hard for a while and it does feel disappointing when the performances don’t come. Today I feel relieved that I could breach the 80m mark and that gives me the confidence I needed before Paris,” says Jena.
Pahal helps break relay record
Kiran Pahal, who just days ago rewrote the 400m national mark, ran the anchor leg for the India A team which rewrote the 4x400m mixed relay national record, clocking 3:12.87s. Mohammed Anas, Jyoti Dandi, and Muhammed Ajmal were the other team members. But even with a national record-breaking time, India will not qualify for Paris.
