Jumping long in windy, rainy meet

The men’s long jump contest at the Federation Cup athletics, held recently at Tenhipalam in northern Kerala, proved that there is another event, other than javelin throw, that demands India’s attention. Three men went past the 8m mark in the same competition, a remarkable feat in the Indian context.

Neeraj Chopra has forced a country of one billion to take a close look at javelin throw. His historic gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics surely must have inspired several kids across the country to pick up a javelin.

The men’s long jump contest at the Federation Cup athletics, held recently at Tenhipalam in northern Kerala, proved that there was another event that demanded India’s attention. Three men went past the ■m mark in the same competition, a remarkable feat in the Indian context.

There was plenty of drama in the men’s long jump competition held on day two of the meet. Tamil Nadu’s Jeswin Aldrin’s second jump measured ■.37m. It appeared he had broken the National record of Kerala’s M. Sreeshankar (■.26m), and also registered this year’s top jump in the world. The 20-year-old’s joy, however, didn’t last long: the wind had become the villain, with

K. RAGESH Running for shelter: Weather changed drastically, shortly before the start of the action on the final afternoon. Heavy rain, lightning, thunder and a very strong wind made the beautiful green ground, bordered by the brick-red synthetic track, resemble more of a vast field destroyed by a storm. Most of the tents — including the one for the media — were blown away.