At the tip of the fourth spherical of the triple soar remaining on the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Abdullah Abubakar discovered himself in fourth place. A medal appeared unlikely presently. But coach M Harikrishnan, who couldn’t journey to Birmingham as a consequence of visa points, knew what his ward ought to have heard on the time. He felt that there was no level in suggesting technical enhancements at the moment. Harikrishnan dialed Mohammad Anees, the lengthy jumper within the stands and requested him to place the cellphone on the loudspeaker as Abubakar bent right down to pay attention.
,ni oru bhrundhane pole chhadu (Just soar like a madman), ”the coach informed him. And it was adopted by Abubakar’s greatest effort of 17.02m which ultimately earned him the silver medal, simply 1cm in need of Aldhos Paul, who can also be Harikrishnan’s apprentice.
“Technically it was Abu’s worst soar of the occasion however by distance it was one of the best. He was leaning sideways, he left his palms hanging, he had no management. In reality, an American coach requested me how he even crossed 17 meters with that effort. But on the time it wasn’t about approach, it was about going out and so I informed him to leap like loopy,” explains the Air Force and National triple soar coach.
This was a kind of numerous events when Harikrishnan has provide you with one thing completely different. On the sphere, it is laborious to not mistake him for an energetic senior athlete. The former lengthy jumper, who has a private greatest of seven.92m, enrolled in a training program on the National Institute of Sports in Patiala in 2016 and the very subsequent yr.
On paper, the 36-year-old has simply 4 years of teaching expertise and has been part of the nationwide camp for nearly a yr and a half. But it would not do justice to his credentials. His trainees in Birmingham led India to the primary 1-2 triple soar place on the Commonwealth Games. Only six athletes within the nation have ever crossed the 17m mark, and three of them prepare beneath that. Abubakar’s private better of 17.19m is the second greatest effort by an Indian.
break the 17m mark
“Before joining the Air Force in 2018, I had no idea about Hari Sir. I had just heard that he was a long jumper. I have worked with many coaches but Hari sir has a different style. I have full faith in him. that’s why we three [him, Eldhose and Karthik Unnikrishnan] Crossed the figure of 17 meters. Had he not been there, one of us would have been above 16.50m and the rest of our career would have been above 16m,” says Abubakar.
Men’s triple soar gold medalist Aldhos Paul, from India’s proper, stands with silver medalist and compatriot Abdullah Abubakar Narangolintevida, left, throughout athletics at Alexander Stadium on the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. (AP)
Coach Harikrishnan says there isn’t a secret behind the 17m revolution, however simply plain laborious work. “There is no magic except the hard work of children and my guidance. If you look at all three of my students, they have progressed slowly. Not that anyone jumped 17m straight from 16.20m (Abubakar’s progress 2018 – 16.28m, 2019 – 16.67m, 2021 – 16.84m, 2022 – 17.19m). Hard work is magic,” he says.
When Harikrishnan ended his teaching program in 2018, he took a sixty-day go away from service to organize his teaching handbook. He all the time had a behavior of preserving a diary whilst an athlete. He famous down all of the exercises given by the coaches within the nationwide camp. “I have also trained under Russian and Cuban coaches. I used to make notes every day. After my coaching course I just wanted to sit down and put forth my ideas to develop a style that would work for Indian athletes,” he defined.
But the handbook is only a tough information. Harikrishnan designs a selected program for every of his athletes primarily based on their physique composition and different parameters. When Aldhos bodily joined him in 2021, he not solely needed to repair his technical flaws, but in addition take a course that might assist make up for his peak (5’8″) shortfall.
“My running technique and my last leg of jumping were bad. Even a minor improvement can help improve performance in a big way and Hari sir took care of it. He saw my strengths and weaknesses and gave me specific workouts which have helped me a lot,” says Commonwealth Champion Aldhos.
Harikrishnan retains mentioning that his “special recipe” is without doubt one of the explanation why his wards have executed effectively. When requested to share a few of the elements, he jokes: “A good chef never reveals his secrets”. The “special recipe” he talks about are his coaching periods the place he continuously provides a component of competitors.
“Sir organizes these little competitions like who will run 30 meters fastest. Or whoever achieves the distance goals set by the coach is rewarded. Whoever wins gets a special non-vegetarian meal prepared by him. Sometimes whoever comes last has to promise to buy food the next time we go out. It definitely motivates us and makes training fun,” says Aldhoz.
‘unpaid assistant’
Harikrishnan admits that he’s hooked on sports activities. He by no means actually switches off, even after his teaching session is over. When historical past professor Ashwathy determined to tie the knot with Harikishanan, she knew what she was doing.
Coach Harikrishnan’s spouse Ashwathy, a historical past professor, assists him through the coaching.
“Oh, all the channels are sports even at home. He keeps watching workout videos on Instagram. He is very passionate about it,” says Ashwathy in a tone that signifies appreciation reasonably than disappointment.
Harikrishnan’s enthusiasm was infectious. Ashwathy, who has no background in sports activities, now goes to the coaching floor after finishing her faculty obligation. She is now answerable for noting down time and distances throughout coaching – a process for which she just isn’t remunerated.
“I knew nothing about the sport, but now I love it. I understand why my husband is so involved,” she says.
But the couple has additionally needed to make sacrifices. Ever since they bought married just a few years again, they have not been in a position to go on an extended journey. Most of the outings have been round Bengaluru or competitors venues the place she tries to tag together with Harikrishnan.
“My parents are calling me to stay at home in Kerala, but I cannot go. I haven’t been home for over a year. I know my students will miss training if I go and I can’t let that happen,” he says.
Harikrishnan not often loses his cool throughout coaching however even when he does, he by no means raises his voice. “I will keep quiet and my silence is the biggest punishment they can get,” he smiles. His spouse and “unpaid assistant” confirms this: “Yeah, he never yells.”
But even Harikrishnan’s apprentices barely give him an opportunity to get upset. “My college students are gems. Sometimes I feel they’re too devoted. After coaching they are going to simply keep of their room and loosen up. I inform them to exit, watch a film and simply have some enjoyable. I’m not simply his coach, I’m his elder brother, pal and household.”
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
